Game of Cat and Mouse
by sherlocks
Summary: Sesshomaru reigns over the Japanese underground with his unparalleled martial skills and superior intellect. The thought of any equals, rival or partner, was laughable, until the day the mafia boss captured a certain elite assassin-in-hiding. ANGST/RAPE
1. Meeting

**Summary**: Sesshomaru rules the Japanese underground with his unmatched fighting skills and superior intellect. What happens when one of his most trusted subordinates is dead, with no clues but a video of an escaping silver haired beauty?

**Disclaimer**: I DON'T OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. JUST THIS STORY BECAUSE I'VE GOT A CRAZY MIND. I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF THIS, JUST PURE PLEASURE. NO REALLY.

**Chapter One: Meeting**

The doorbell rang and the laughter immediately seized inside the household. As the small party momentarily looked at each other with curious eyes, nothing but the heavy rain roaring against the windows and the dying background music could be heard. A middle-aged woman lifted herself gracefully from her seat and gestured to her friends to continue their merriment. Upon opening the intricately carved wooden door, she was met by a tall young man with his face hidden beneath a large baseball cap and long, silver, dirt covered bangs. She gasped and jumped back trembling as she noticed his sickening blood stained clothes, with tears and holes in several areas of his jeans. The man's bloody arms held a delicate bundle inside his jacket tightly. It was clear that his attempt to protect it from the unforgiving rain had failed. He stood at the entrance, panting heavily trying to regain his breath as the guests appeared from the living room to see what was wrong.

The lithe man, distressed with the frightened gazes he was receiving, quickly loosened his grip on the bundle, revealing a plain white box held closed by a beautiful red ribbon. As gently as he could, he placed the box in the doorway and escaped down the street without a word. The dying jiggles of keys and heavy footsteps could be heard.

"W-what could that be?" One lady nervously asked. The woman reached for the box and opened it, letting the ribbon fall to the ground. Inside were the remnants of an expensive cake crushed probably by the agitation of his deliverer's rough sprint. The broken letters on the cake read 'Happy Birthday'. Finally realizing the truth behind the strange event, the woman sprang instantaneously to the door, in hopes of catching the man. By that time however, the man, limping in front of a trail of his own blood, had already reached the corner of the street, turned, and disappeared into the night. As if on cue, the rain shot down with renewed vigour and the old clock in the hallway began resonating, signaling midnight.

"Sesshomaru! Bad news!" the short-haired man cried as he slammed open the door to one of the offices belonging to his organization's leader.

"What is it, Miroku?" The expressionless man asked his lieutenant without lifting his eyes from the documents in his hands. They detailed the organization's profits from a recent drug transaction. It was indeed tiring to have to look through the invoices himself, but the man knew that in this sort of business, trust was not to be given out so liberally. Especially concerning anything that dealt with money, as he's seen through his reign over the black market that greed was almost always the cause of frustrations. Either that or revenge. Those two things were not to be taken lightly.

"It's Myoga, he's been killed!" The man in black shouted with a wrinkled temple and a face as pale as the paper in Sesshomaru's hand.

A loud bang echoed in the large and simply furbished room as Sesshomaru brought his hand down roughly against the desk in front of him. Had there not been several papers to cushion his impact, Miroku was sure that he'd find a crack or dent on the wood later. In an instant, Sesshomaru was up and by the door with his black D&G overcoat over his shoulders.

"Get the car." He commanded, anger beginning to seep from his voice. Although many believed this man to be tolerating of many things, the ones who knew him well enough would rebuke that rumour with the knowledge that Sesshomaru merely found many things to be a waste of his time and therefore ignored their very existence. It would then be up to either Miroku or another high ranking personnel directly under Sesshomaru's command to deal with the situation. This was the only possible way for anyone to get so a promotion within the large organization—to be able to read between the fine lines and assist the boss faithfully and loyally.

"Already waiting outside." Miroku responded diligently, trailing close behind his superior as they paced down the marble hallway decorated with repeated pots of pale hydrangeas and blushing roses elevated by handmade Chinese porcelain columns. Expensive Japanese prints, Chinese watercolours, and Caravaggio paintings draped the pastel beige walls, attempting to lighten up the otherwise boring lobby. The fine mix of Asian decour tangled with Western and European standards perfectly suited any type of guest that Sesshomaru may have had over.

"I want details." The pair entered the elevator and Miroku, within the time it took to get to the ground floor, recited all that he knew of the murder of Myoga, one of his leader's most trusted subordinates and Miroku's best buddy. Fond memories of them sharing their troubles and joys together, destroying opponents under Sesshomaru's strong leadership, and saving each other's behinds flooded his head, but he held back his emotions as he continued his explanation.

"We got a call from his wife four hours ago. We weren't able to track his cellphone down using GPS—it must have been destroyed, but we did track the sensor in his shoes to a parking lot near the prostitution houses in Shinjuku. Our men took a while to find him dead behind a car, with over 30 shots to his chest and abdomen, and one to his head."

"Our men wouldn't take that long to find a body. Did they use gasoline to cover the smell of gunpowder and the blood?" Both men clenched their fists tight. No one could have picked up the fraction of a second that Sesshomaru furrowed his brows for.

"Yes. We don't know who did it, but we retrieved a video from a security camera near the entrance closest to Myoga's body. In the last 4 hours, only one suspicious man escaped from the lot. His face wasn't seen but it was clear he was soaked in blood."

"Myoga's body?"

"Won't be discovered by the police or anyone else. Kaede should have the autopsy report delivered to me soon. The public saw nothing, as you've warned us."

"Good." With Sesshomaru in front, the two walked stealthily towards the car as the elevator doors clanked closed behind them. Without any further instruction, Miroku knew exactly what his boss wanted to do. With a flip of his cell, he called his underling at the lot and told them to have the tape ready when they got there. Above all things, Sesshomaru hated having his time wasted and have always made sure to punish anyone that did so.

The short drive to the parking lot was silent but the air was muddled with wrath that swore to avenge their fallen comrade. The second they find the damned murderer, they would tear his limbs apart and feed them to sewage rats, the two mentally promised themselves.

Sesshomaru sat down as he watched the 8 second video with unblinking narrowed eyes, his hand balled into a fist. The others were ordered out of the security room, as Miroku knew that this type of situation required silence. Once the video stopped, he reached for the control, about to replay it to attempt to catch any hints as to whom the suspicious man was, but Sesshomaru got up and began his fluid orders:

"Call Kag's Jewelry. Have them check through their transactions for their limited white pup keychains. Ask Kagome to personally interview her employees and inquire her men if they know or remember anyone that fits the man's description. Station several of our men at all times of the day in this area of Shinjuku. I expect Kagome and Kaede's report from you by the day after tomorrow." Before he could slip through the door that one of his men opened for him from the outside, Sesshomaru was stopped by a confused groan.

"H-How…" Miroku's face at that time would be laughable had it not been for the gravity of the current state of affairs.

"Look at the keys at his beltline 3 seconds in. And he seemed to know exactly where to go among the array of streets and alleyways around this area, therefore he must frequent here. I expect him to show his face within a week. Report anything to me the second you hear it." With that, Sesshomaru walked calmly out the door leaving a shocked Miroku behind starring attentively at the video replaying itself. He was never going to get used to his leader's amazing perceptional skills.

Sesshomaru headed back to his office to finish off what he had been doing. Although he would like nothing better than to interrogate and beat the crap out of the man in the video right that second, he knew that patience and a calm state of mind was always the best reaction to such circumstances. He'll have to wait for information on this mysterious silver haired man before proceeding to kick his ass all the way to Alaska for leaving Myoga's body behind in such an undignified location. In the back of his head, he scoffed at the fact that had Kagome's infatuated sister not persistently tried to gift one of those rare white pup keychains to him, he would have missed out on important information. Keeping his phone on and near him at all times, Sesshomaru continued his work as the top dog among the Japanese yakuza.

It has been two days since Myoga's body was found dead. Miroku was becoming restless as he had not received any reply from Kagome yet. He had just visited Kaede, the organization's personal Medical Examiner, to pick up the autopsy report and decided miserably that he would need to go talk to Kagome personally, fully aware of the woman's discourteous attitude.

Being rich and beautiful with tons of men at her beck and call had served to boost her already over-sized ego to the max. And it didn't help that she usually always got what she wanted; everyone knew that any refutes were useless against her. Unless of course, you were Sesshomaru, for he is the only person that Kagome ever listens to. That attitude is thanks to one incident when his boss had saved her beloved sister Rin from death by the hands of a gang, subsequently resulting in a very annoying infatuated girl constantly trying to get his boss into her pants. Unfortunately, Miroku could only feel sorry for Sesshomaru. He was sure his boss wouldn't hesitate to dump Rin's body into the Sea of Japan if Kagome wasn't a resource for valuable information and hefty profits for the organization.

Upon arriving in front of the store that Kagome could usually be found at, Miroku got out of his car with roses in hand. He knew better than to expect something from her without a bait, err, a small gift as compensation, he meant. Several familiar ladies approached him as he entered and Miroku would have held out his arms invitingly had it been any other visit, but he had to talk to Kagome right now so he set his twitchy hands aside and cleared his throat.

"Hi ladies, I am here to—" he began with a polite smile.

"See me." Kagome finished, appearing behind a large door at the end of the room with a sign that read 'Only Staff Beyond This Point' on it. She motioned for her employees to get back to their duties, before snatching the bouquet from Miroku's hands.

"Oh my, you shouldn't have." She said coyly and breathed the roses in.

"No, I'm pretty sure I should." Miroku forced a smile but sighed inwardly.

"Oh shut up. I should whip you for what you said, but Sesshomaru needs something from me." She walked behind a counter and revealed a folder of documents after settling the roses down.

"Here's what he wants. I don't know what happened this time, but tell Sesshomaru to watch out. This guy can be dangerous. I asked some of my darlings to check him out since I was interested. The kid's the most beautiful thing I've seen since your boss, but my blood ran cold when I found out this guy use to be an assassin—and one of the best it seems." The look on her face was grave, which told me the man was serious business, for Kagome, albeit discourteous, would normally have a mischievous smile on her face and be teasing everyone around her. Miroku had to get to Sesshomaru. Right now.

"Thanks Kagome, you're great." Miroku quickly placed a small peck on her soft, make-up-heavy left hand as a sign of respect before dashing outside, into the car, and driving to headquarters as fast as the damn vehicle could take him.

Sesshomaru had his eyes closed, head back and his elbows up on the comfy black leather couch he was sitting on. He had just finished dealing with a hyperactive Rin and a bunch of lackeys that were slacking off on their posts. What a tiresome afternoon. A sudden knock brought his conscience back to reality.

"Sesshomaru, it's me, Miroku." Honestly, Sesshomaru was about to kill the guy behind the door, assuming that he had been an underling and had the guts to call their boss by his name. You could tell he wasn't in the mood for any stupidity right now. If Miroku hadn't made his identity clear, he'd have cracked skull by now.

"Come in. You have the reports?" He demanded as he sat upright in an imperial posture.

Handing the papers to him, Miroku replied, "Yes, and from what I hear from Kagome, this guy's pretty dangerous."

"This entire line of business is dangerous." Sesshomaru simply responded. Miroku was obviously relieved that he was following such a resilient man who feared nothing. It made up for his naturally worrying character and as such, he was always encouraged to kick anyone's unreasonable ass without concern of the consequences. And that's exactly what he wanted to do to this assassin right now, if only he knew where he was.

"The guy used to be a highly skilled assassin; even our circle knows him. He was called 'Silverclaw', but I doubt he's fully retired." Miroku rested his elbows on his knees as he sat down across from Sesshomaru.

"The Silverclaw that assassinated Jaken's entire syndicate of 100 members in the span of one night?" Sesshomaru roared with fury, crunching the paper in his hands with little restraint.

"Someone must have paid him to kill Myoga. That little shit!" If Miroku had clenched his fists any tighter, you would probably see red. Before he could suggest getting more men out to find this man, Sesshomaru's phone rang.

"What is it?" He answered in such a cold tone that Miroku could have sworn he heard the man on the other line gulp and yelp in surprise and in terror. The conversation was short—as soon as Sesshomaru hung up without notice, he was at his desk and pulling out a gun from a small drawer. Heading towards the door and leaving his cigarettes behind, Sesshomaru motioned Miroku to follow and follow quickly.

"We trailed this worthless Silverclaw to his place." He explained his phone call.

How the infamous and skilled Silverclaw didn't notice his stalker was beyond Miroku, but his blood was rushing and adrenaline soon kicked in. The two were going to fuck this asshole big time for what he had done to their comrade.

-

"Shit. This is what I get for helping that fucker out." The beautifully toned half-naked man complained to the unlit room with great frustration as he wrapped fresh gauze around his hips and right thigh. There was a suspicious man outside his complex but he couldn't do anything about it because of the wounds he sustained from protecting a stranger at a parking lot a few days ago.

"The guy looks like a minion. I could easily deal with him if I didn't have these damn wounds!" He yelled to no one in particular as he starred down at the puny guy outside his building through a window.

"Now look at me, I can barely walk! Fuck, I knew I should have just gone back home after. But no, I had to fucking deliver that fucking shit's cake to his fucking wife! And it just HAD to be fucking raining! Major blood lose and infection, fuck my life!" He growled with heavy breathes, rustling the hair on his head and consequently messing it up.

Inuyasha had tried his best not to attract attention after he quit being an assassin and a pawn to his old organization, but it was a bloody hard thing to do when that stupid voice in his head always got himself into unnecessary trouble. It was near impossible not to encounter dangerous situations when he lived in such a messed up area. Unfortunately, he was dirt poor and it was the only place he could afford to stay at. With a sigh, he walked slowly to the calendar near his door. Behind was a hole that he had dug out, just big enough for a gun.

Honestly, he was hoping not to get into more trouble and just have a normal life. Or at least appear as though he had one. So he couldn't help but hope that the man trailing him was a lackey of the man that he helped. Maybe he was just trying to get close to thank him or something, and once the business was done, it would all be over.

But boy was he wrong.

His hand was merely an inch away from the gun when two strange men ambushed into his apartment, effectively destroying his door beyond repair. Inuyasha fell back from the shock as the gun fell with a clank from its hiding spot in front of the pair of intruders.

"Fuck!" He cursed as he realized what exactly was happening. Inuyasha wanted to roll over to make it easier for himself to get to his feet but he knew better than to present his back to his opponents. So by using the door as a shield and distraction, he got up with a strong thrust from his palm and ran into hallway that would lead to his bedroom. Several gunshots fired at him from behind as the two saw their target escaping.

The pain was excruciating, as the wounds reopened and fresh blood practically poured out. But this was not the time to worry about that. Trying his best to ignore the warning electric shocks running through his body from his hips, he grabbed a gun from his drawer. But by the time he had turned around, the two men had broken down his bedroom door.

"Miroku!" He heard the taller one yell at the other man who was probably his subordinate. The shorter man aimed and shot, embedding a bullet exactly where one of Inuyasha's bleeding wounds was.

"Arghhh!" Inuyasha howled in pain, feeling his right leg buckle under him beside his bed. As he fell, he pointed his gun at Miroku, stopping him from firing another shot. Unfortunately, Inuyasha forgot about the leader. Normally, he wouldn't make such an error, but he must have felt the smallest sense of security when he saw the man's silver coated hair that was so close to his own. This was once again another critical mistake. Inuyasha seemed to be making a lot of mistakes after meeting that man in the parking lot.

Seconds after his knees had contact with the ground, Inuyasha's arms were twisted back behind him and he was turned and kicked between his shoulder blades towards his bed. Several cracks and the tearing of skin and muscle were heard. Inuyasha's wrists were officially broken and his hip bones probably fractured as they hit his hard wooden bed with a fierce force elevated by rage. Another scream echoed throughout the entire building. And for the first time in a long time, Inuyasha felt fear for it was clear that the man that held him in place was not someone he could easily defeat, even if he was in tip top shape. Inuyasha's fear grew when he knew no one could come and help him. No one else was at home because they would be at work at this time. The apartments of this building are so run down that no families would live here, so most of the inhabitants were living by themselves and had to work day and night to get by, just like Inuyasha himself.

"You will either stop struggling or die in my hands, Silverclaw!" Sesshomaru roared at his sweating captive. He grabbed hold of Inuyasha's thick silver hair and pinned his head on the mattress. He liked knowing that with his one word, his subordinate could shoot a bullet through this murderer's skull at any moment. But he needed information first.

Inuyasha stopped struggling that instant. He could feel his strength escaping and figured it'd be better to die awake than unconscious. At least he could die knowing the name of the man who outsmarted him, the killer feared as Silverclaw. He laughed in his head. It had been a long time since he was called that. How did these bastards figure that out?

"W-what do y-you want?" He gasped out. Oh hell, even speaking was difficult at this point. He would admit that he was defeated, but the only thing that irked him was that he was going to die in the hands of an enemy that wasn't really his enemy. He figured that these men were the ones after the man he helped. But it wasn't like Inuyasha knew that man, even though he had helped him out. Wasn't it clear that he was just a courageous though foolish bystander?

"Who sent you out to kill Myoga?" …Wait, what the hell?

"I-I didn't kill… anyone…" Inuyasha tried to explain, coughing out blood in between words. It was clear that these men misunderstood something. He had retired from being an assassin a long time ago. So much for their information network, Inuyasha scoffed. "R-retired a long ti—" But before he could finish, Sesshomaru pulled on his hair and smashed his head back against the mattress. Inuyasha could only bring about a loud grunt.

"Don't lie to me, you worm." Sesshomaru coldly spat out with the utmost disgust.

"Sesshomaru, we can give him a slow torturous death after we find out who hired him." Miroku sneered.

Even with the slight cushioning, Inuyasha suffered some damage as his head began to bleed.

'Fuck, I knew I should have saved up more money for a softer mattress!' He mentally slapped himself for yet again, another mistake. Sensing that he would be losing conscience soon, Inuyasha knew he needed tell the man above him that this was all a misunderstanding. Easier said than done though.

"N-not lying… O-only h-helpe—" But it was too late. Inuyasha had passed out.

Sesshomaru lifted himself up, sensing that Inuyasha had lost consciousness.

"Shit, he didn't die, did he? We needed information." Miroku sighed.

"He's alive. Take him back. We'll use the torture room." Sesshomaru was starring daggers into Inuyasha's back as he said his words.

"Wait, he's probably half dead, we don't need to go that far—" Miroku began.

"Are you defying my orders, Miroku?" Sesshomaru cast a glare at his lieutenant.

"No, but we need to know who hired him if we really want to avenge Myoga." He reasoned.

"I'll make sure he tells us everything." Sessomaru knew exactly what he would do to get the man to talk.

'I will make you suffer a humiliating death.' He thought before exiting the bedroom and apartment, leaving behind him the epitome of destruction.


	2. Mistake

**Disclaimer**: I DON'T OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS. JUST THIS STORY BECAUSE I'VE GOT A CRAZY MIND. I DON'T MAKE ANY MONEY OFF OF THIS, JUST PURE PLEASURE. NO REALLY.

Enjoy!

Chapter Two: Mistake

Only shrieks of pain and heavy panting came out of the man's rosy lips that bled from the puncture of his own teeth. Inuyasha tried his best not to give in to the pain, but when you feel like you're on the verge of death every waking moment, it just couldn't be done. He had woken up in the middle of a dark room to find himself on his bleeding knees with his wrists chained above his head, his arms forming a V shape. The long chains that held his arms in place jingled with every hit on his back from the whip as if mocking him for his pathetic defeat.

He was still half naked, but his pants weren't looking as appealing as it had before. Soaked in blood, both dry and fresh, and thick sweat, the jeans were starting to burn into Inuyasha's porcelain skin, effectively creating uncomfortable rashes. Though the jeans were giving his lower half much discomfort, Inuyasha was thankful for them as it was the only thing, besides his long and currently dirt and blood ridden hair, that provided him warmth against the cold concrete room.

Although the whole situation was still very confusing, Inuyasha was pretty sure that his two captors were friends of that man he had helped in the parking lot. He wanted to tell his torturer that everything had been a misunderstanding, that he didn't deserve this. But his voice was going hoarse from all his screaming and crying and whenever he did get a rasping word out, the man behind him would just violently whip his back as if his voice was the most disgusting thing he had ever heard. Inuyasha was sure the amount of blood he had lost over the last few days was very unhealthy. Although he always had a high tolerance for pain and healed faster from injuries than most people—this was necessary for his past job—he knew he could be fainting again any minute now. It was not only painful, but also extremely frustrating that the jackass behind him wouldn't let him explain himself.

"Stop," Inuyasha hissed, finally able to get another word out from his lips. But before he could continue, Sesshomaru dealt another blow to his back, creating a new wound. Inuyasha grunted and bucked forward, trying to get away from whip. This only caused him more pain, for he had forgotten his severely injured hips. He could already imagine the large fissure of a wound embedded in the muscles on his back.

"I want the name of your commissioner, not your excuses!"

"T-This is a misunderstanding…" He tried to say. With every word, he could taste and smell the iron in his mouth where blood had spewed forth before.

"Did you really think you could get away with killing my subordinate?" Sesshomaru kicked the fresh wounds with his muddy dress shoes, gaining another moan from Silverclaw.

"L-listen to me, damnit!" His words were brash and desperate whispers by this time. "I only helped y-your friend." If the pain in his hips could dim even a slightly bit, it would be easier for him to talk. Hell, Inuyasha would even prefer if they became damaged so bad that he could become numb to the pain, but things just weren't going his way.

…As usual.

Getting impatient with Inuyasha, Sesshomaru walked around in front and kicked his stomach with enough force to lift him off the ground for short moment.

"Fuck you!" Inuyasha loathingly gasped out as a fresh batch of blood spilled from between his teeth. Just what the hell is up with this stubborn asshole? Is he deaf or something?

Minutes passed as Sesshomaru glared down at the helpless man underneath him, who was still coughing up blood. The entire concrete room was filled with the man's pungent smell. But underneath all that blood, the sweat, the saliva, the infection and rubbing alcohol, was a very alluring smell. Sesshomaru couldn't quite describe it, but the smell was all over the man's apartment when he had ambushed it. Having a very sharp sense of smell, he was unable to forget it even after leaving the building. It was a surprising tangy sweet scent completely unfit of an assassin.

Inuyasha's last comment gave him an idea.

"Why don't I fuck you instead?" He said coolly, enjoying the slow change in expression on Silverclaw's face. The urge to fuck the guy up on the inside as much as on the outside was overpowering his sanity. Plus, he noted that he hadn't gotten laid in a while since this whole ordeal began. Acting quickly before the man began to struggle, he stripped Inuyasha's pants off and threw his legs up so that he landed on the cold floor hips first and baring all he was worth.

"Aaahh!" Inuyasha cried, seeing stars as he shut his eyes closed, his brows furrowing intensely. He clenched his teeth tightly as he tried to ignore the pain shooting up from his frail hips. But before he could settle down, he was forced to scream again as Sesshomaru hastily unfastened his pants and thrust his huge cock into the smaller man's virgin body.

Sesshomaru hissed for a short moment, surprised at how good the penetration felt as the muscles of Inuyasha's delightfully tight anus clenched between his manhood in a smearing hot embrace. He had expected the sensation to be more cold and rough from such a revolting murderer. But as he gazed upon the man underneath him, he began to notice just how fair he really was. He also had very rare and beautiful golden eyes that sheltered a burning fire. And his blush-hued nipples, erect from the contact with the cold air, was definitely a sight to be seen, albeit bloody.

His hands let go of Inuyasha's legs and trailed down to his waist. Sesshomaru dug his nails into the soft skin and pulled himself out of the man's asshole before pounding right back in, deeper than before. Ignoring the tears streaming down Inuyasha's face, Sesshomaru continued to hammer his painfully hard penis in and out of the hole. He starred through glazed orbs at his thick organ rapidly disappearing into and then reappearing from inside the man's body. And with every push in, how the sphincter caved in with the sheer force of his thrust and with every pull out, how it grasped onto his member tightly, as if refusing to let it go. Streams of blood trailed from the snug hole but that served only to heighten the pleasure Sesshomaru was feeling. Sensing that his climax was nearing, he began fucking Inuyasha harder and faster as he pulled his body towards him to meet his deep thrusts. Although the man was clearly a virgin, it was amazing how he could take in every bit of Sesshomaru's huge dick, right up the hilt. Most of the woman or men he slept with couldn't fully take in his impressive size and therefore weren't able satisfy his very active libido. Hitting his balls hard against the man's wet skin as he plunged was also an amazing new experience for Sessomaru. Silverclaw may have been an assassin but he certainly had talents in other areas.

Sesshomaru rammed once more into Inuyasha, spilling his massive load as deep as he could inside the hot hole. A few more shallow thrusts managed to milk him of every last drop of his seed. Pulling himself out slowly, he smirked at the man underneath him. Tears continued to flow down his plump cheeks but it was clear he no longer had his voice, because even as his lips mouthed a cry, no speech could be heard. Inuyasha could do nothing but twitch uncomfortably on the ground, his chest raising and falling in between shuddering hiccup-like breathes.

Sesshomaru looked back to the addictive entrance that had taken him in earlier. There was a large amount of blood, but he could unmistakably see his own white cum seeping out. Well, he did fill it up pretty good. He pushed a finger in and was surprised again at how tight it still was, even after all that fucking. Sesshomaru knew he was way over average size, but the hole still felt as taut as a virgin. Thoroughly amused, he wiggled the digit around, scraping the soft tissues inside and causing it to bleed more.

"You let a drop of my semen escape and I'll rape you again." At that, Inuyasha clenched his ass as hard he could. Sesshomaru sneered as he felt the pressure around his finger. Satisfied, he lifted himself up and fixed his clothes.

"You're better suited as a whore than as an assassin, Silverclaw. I laugh at how pathetic you are. It took me no effort to find, capture, and dominate you. Your exploits as an assassin had me expecting something from you but they must have been rumours, seeing as you're nothing but a weak puppy." Inuyasha could only whimper, although he would have given Sesshomaru a proud finger if his arms weren't being restricted by the goddamn chains binding his wrists.

He was so tired, and sleep was finally creeping up to him. Inside his head, Inuyasha was imagining himself killing the man who had just taken so much from him. He wouldn't mind leaving his hibernation and retrieving his claws from their hidden location, just to assassinate this asshole as Silverclaw. He silently promised to himself that he'd definitely do it if he ever got out of this alive. Then he quietly dozed off.

"Be ready to talk when I get back, Silverclaw." Were the last words Inuyasha heard before losing consciousness. Finally he could take a break from his agonizing pain, if only for a while.

Sesshomaru opened the door to his office and sat down on the nearest sofa. His cock could still feel Inuyasha around it and was already semi-hard. He didn't really know why he couldn't take his mind off of the stupid murderer. He blamed it on the lack of sexual relief for an entire week. And the man's beauty was undeniable, although Sesshomaru didn't want to admit it.

"How the hell am I supposed to work with a semi-erection?"

Sesshomaru then tried to think of Rin and his bod deflated within a split second.

…Well, it did the job.

He was about to get up from his seat and go dine at an expensive restaurant had Miroku not chosen to burst through his door at that instant. He had a very shocked face.

"Your barging into my office is getting really irritating."

"W-We got the wrong guy, boss." Miroku cried, his hands in his hair.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Silverclaw wasn't the murderer! We got the wrong guy!"

"What?" Sesshomaru's voice boomed, leaping from his seat.

"I was over at Myoga's house to give his wife the good news—a-about us capturing the murderer. But then she asked if we saw someone with him. The guy's description fit Silverclaw's perfectly! I told her he was the murderer, but she said I was wrong. Silverclaw had delivered her a birthday cake from Myoga on the night of her birthday! She wanted to thank him! She wouldn't have even given us the fucking call to warn us about Myoga had she not seen Silverclaw that night! Fuck!" He was obviously fretting.

Sesshomaru silently stood there, glaring at Miroku, before he sprang to his desk and took out the documents Kaede and Kagome had sent her. Fumbling with the pages, he read through them.

On Kagome's report:

'_Silverclaw kills with only one weapon: His own "claws". The weapon is unique only to the assassin therefore no information on it is known. However, it is likely to be some type of dagger, sword, or blade, as accurate and fatal gashes have been retrieved from the wounds of his targets. '_

Then swiftly scanned through Kaede's report:

'_Myoga died with 34 shots to his chest and abdomen, and one to his head. Retrieved bullets tell us that the weapon is likely a Mamba Pistol 9x19mm Parabellum automatic pistol. Judging from the depth and direction of the bullets, there were about 3 gunners. The body suffered no other critical wounds, aside from a few scratches and bruises. _

_Strands of silver hair could be found on Myoga's body, mainly on his front (chest, abdomen area).'_

Sesshomaru leaned back slowly on his black leather chair, shock and anger coursing through his body. He thought back to the man lying and bleeding underground in the torture room right now.

"_I-I didn't kill… anyone…" _

"_R-retired a long time ago…"_

"_N-not lying… O-only h-helpe—_

"_T-This is a misunderstanding…"_

"_I only helped y-your friend."_

Sesshomaru's eyes widened as he realized the full extent of his grave mistake.

"What have I done?" He gasped out. His whisper was so light that not even Miroku, meters away, had heard it.

Thanks for reading! Please review if you enjoy my story. It keeps me going, haha.

See you next time!


	3. Innocence

Just wanted to say a big thank you to my reviewers for their warm reviews! I'm very happy that people are enjoying my stories just as much as I enjoy writing them. I look kind of stupid right now with a big grin on my face, haha. /embarrassed but bows anyway

Please read disclaimer before reading! Thanks!

Chapter Three: Innocence

"How the hell did this happen!" Roared Sesshomaru, angry at how foolish he had been. If only he hadn't been blinded by his rage and his desire to seek revenge… If only he had been more patient! Then he wouldn't have made such a grave mistake. He had always been cautious about what vengeance could do to a person, so why hadn't he seen this coming?

He felt so uncomfortable right now. Something inside him was pulsating and Sesshomaru couldn't discern whether if they were bursts of sharp pain or just leftover adrenaline. He was having a hard time calming down, which was unusual and instigated additional stress. It wasn't like he never had a senior subordinate die before, but their deaths were always by the hands of his enemies. And Silverclaw was innocent. And although he had made former rash decisions, he thought nothing of them for his satisfaction was the only thing that mattered to him. He also never failed to erase the evidence of his actions, in case they ever hinder him in any way. But the second he considered killing off the silver haired assassin, his insides churned. If he had not been overwhelmed by anger, Sesshomaru would have been surprised to find that he, the most feared person in the mafia, was in fact, in a state of utter confusion.

"I-I'm sorry, boss! I should have talked to Myoga's wife properly before… before I jumped to conclusions!" Miroku cursed at himself for his own incompetency. Sure, Silverclaw was caught on video and he just happened to be a retired assassin, but that didn't mean for certain that the man was the one who killed his best friend. He felt ridiculous for suggesting that Silverclaw was the man they wanted without solid proof.

Both Miroku and Sesshomaru were upset at their recklessness that led to this irreversible mistake. Miroku was taking it harder however, for it was undeniable that he had first and foremost, failed his boss. His heart flooded with guilt and regret.

"I'll accept any kind of punishment from you, boss. But please don't tell me to leave…!" Miroku begged having fallen to the ground with his temple practically glued to the floor in shame.

"Get up. Call Kaede, right now. Silverclaw cannot die." Sesshomaru ordered coldly, as he made his way to the torture room. He couldn't think about anything else right now. Before he could even imagine what kind of punishment to give to his rueful subordinate, he needed to guarantee Silverclaw's safety.

"But I…" Miroku trailed off, bewildered by his boss's words that was clearly mixed with concern. Knowing him, he would have made Miroku cut off his own arm by now, or worse. What had Silverclaw done to make Sesshomaru so agitated?

"Now, Miroku! Or I will see to it that you die a woman hanging naked from Kintai Bridge." With that, Sesshomaru treaded down the hall, entered the elevator, and pressed the bottom for the basement floor where the torture room was located. He had heard Miroku stammering apologies and stumble to get to a phone. Luckily, Kaede, the organization's physician and medical examiner, had her house close to headquarters so she should be in his office by the time he retrieved Silverclaw's body from the dungeon.

Sesshomaru reached the torture room and quickly entered the secret password so that he'd be allowed access inside. As he hesitantly walked in, the familiar citrusy aroma invaded his nose. He winced slightly, remembering exactly what he had done to the innocent man just hours ago. Silverclaw's position on the abrasive asphalt floor hadn't changed since he had left. Panic stuck him like a bullet when Sesshomaru noticed that the man was still—too still. His chest indicated that he was no longer breathing. Sesshomaru ran to his side and placed a finger under the man's nose. No air. He then brushed the strands of hair on his chest aside and placed his ears to his heart, straining to hear a beat. It felt like an eternity before a faint thumping was heard and then a sigh of relief. The taller man did what he had to to increase the shorter man's oxygen intake. Finally his breathing had leveled sufficiently.

Upon unchaining him, Sesshomaru threw his shirt over the assassin, gently picked him off the floor and carried him, princess-style, to the elevator. As the doors closed, a couple of threads of hair fell away from Inuyasha's face, fully revealing the man's attractive androgynous features, among some bruises. No matter how many times he saw the man's face, Sesshomaru would never get bored. He was discovering more and more things about this man, every surprise taking his breath away. Even when dried and cracked, Sesshomaru felt the urge to kiss the man's lips. Not rape him with the intent of humiliating him like he had before, but to lick the skin, wet it with his own saliva, and have the pleasure of seeing the red lips gleam under the glaring lights inside the elevator. Sesshomaru was sure it would make the man's face even more sensual.

But right now was not the time for that. If he didn't get him to Kaede soon, the man's heart would stop beating entirely.

Holding him tight against his wide chest, Sesshomaru walked out of the elevator and found Kaede standing outside his office door, with her equipment in a large purse in her hands.

"It has been a while, sir." The old women said, bowing in respect. "I wish to express my condolences to you, for the loss of one of your men. I have begun funeral proceedings for Mr. Myoga."

"Right now, I need you to look after this man." Sesshomaru nodded in Silverclaw's direction in his arms. "Money is not a problem, purchase anything you may need. I want him better, understand?"

"Certainly, sir. But I will need a suitable place to examine him."

Sesshomaru gaze left her and was back to the man in his arms. Inuyasha was growing paler by the moment, and his wounds hadn't completely closed yet. His blood pooled into the white dress shirt Sesshomaru covered him with. In his condition, going to a hotel would be too risky. With a mental sigh, Sesshomaru said, "We will go to my suite. Miroku," he continued, glancing at the nervous man, "Get food. We'll need to feed him later." Motioning for Kaede to follow, the two entered into the elevator, as Miroku went back inside his boss's office to get his cellphone, in case Sesshomaru calls him while he was out.

The entire building belonged to Sesshomaru. He had it built to serve as a headquarters for his organization, but the top ten floors and the suite were strictly for his personal use. Only select personnel were given a card key and inputted into the security system as a valid passer. The card allows one to freely move within the highly secured area, excluding the luxurious suite that only Sesshomaru used. Otherwise, permission from the boss would be required to enter, which is often needed since the important conference rooms were located on these floors. The suite was added because Sesshomaru needed a convenient place to rest in case he couldn't leave the premises for whatever reason.

Sesshomaru didn't like the idea of having Kaede, or anyone else for that matter, in his suite. This notion came about from the numerous attempts of copious men and women trying to invade the place so as to win him over. But it couldn't be helped, Silverclaw needed Kaede's medical expertise. Swiping the suite card key into a special slot in the elevator, Sesshomaru and Kaede were immediately brought up to the suite that occupied almost the entire top floor. A little area had been left out for the other elevators to be able to pass the suite floor and reach the roof where helicopters would often come and go.

"Over here." Sesshomaru moved into a guestroom and positioned Silverclaw gently down on the king-sized bed, as a quiet whimper left the man's lips at the sudden shift in his body.

"Check him." Sesshomaru ordered.

"I'll begin right away. Please excuse me." Kaede replied, moving to sit next to the battered body and taking out her equipment from her black leather medical bag. She quickly slipped on a pair of disposable gloves and got to work.

'You better not die on me, Silverclaw.' Sesshomaru thought as he starred attentively at the man's face, expecting him to, at any moment now, open his eyelids. The man had the longest and most dazzling eyelashes Sesshomaru had ever seen.

It was now almost dawn, as the bright sun began to rise from his resting place. Over 15 hours passed before Kaede come out of the room, with much of her clothes tarnished by blood. Throughout the entire process, Sesshomaru had to call Miroku to pick up various materials and things to assist in her work. She was now to report her findings to her boss who had left the guestroom hours earlier to make such call. She caught Sesshomaru drinking whisky, sitting cross-legged on a couch in his living room. The look on her face was severe and she couldn't help keeping her head down due to her incapacity to speak.

"His condition?" Sesshomaru asked.

"…"

"Kaede." He commanded, growing impatient.

"Yes… The man is in critical condition," she hesitated, "Before I explain, I'll tell you that I have thoroughly hydrated his body—it was necessary to heal him. Now, I found three bullet holes in his hips that refused to seal up. They were completely infested with bacteria and fungus. It was impossible to fix without cutting out some of his insides, which I did. He also had two other bullet holes in proximity, on his right thigh. From one of them, I retrieved a bullet that was embedded in an area of muscles very close to his bones."

'He was already injured when we got to him…Shit! But how…? And Miroku's bullet…' Sesshomaru contemplated, his eyes narrowing.

The woman continued her report. "His wrists were completely broken and had several gashes which I've managed to seal up. When I felt his upper abdomen, I noticed two of his ribs were also broken and one punctured his right lung slightly."

'That must have been when I held him captive in his apartment... The gashes surely came from the cuffs and chains… How could one kick do so much damage, goddamnit!' Sesshomaru reminisced.

Kaede frowned when she noticed the fury in Sesshomaru's eyes, and considered whether she should go on. The last thing she wanted to do was to upset the powerful man in front of her. It also came as a shock to her that Sesshomaru, who she often saw without an expression on his face, was now less attentive of his conspicuous feelings. Sensing her insecurity but ignoring it, Sesshomaru urged her to carry on.

"Continue." He demanded.

Sighing, she spoke again. "The gashes on his back were very austere. I cleaned them and performed surgery, saving him from any potential scars since they were fresh. But if I had been called any later, they would have surely caused his death due to over excessive loss of blood. And it seems that he was also… raped." Sesshomaru flinched. "But luckily, there was very little damage and I've washed him well." Sesshomaru wasn't relieved; he was more worried about the potential emotional and mental damage.

He also wasn't the least bit happy to hear that the woman had touched Silverclaw in such intimate places, but he knew it was necessary. Besides, considering her ages and looks, he probably had nothing to worry about.

"I do, however, have some good news," she said as her expression softened, "His healing abilities are astounding. When I properly treated the smaller injuries, his body began to restore by itself. It's almost inhuman. There were several scratches, rashes, and bruises, of various sizes but most of them have already been healed. I was surprised to see a very small cut close up almost instantly when I cleaned it." She smiled tiredly at the man starring at her. She could tell he was surprised, although most people wouldn't catch it. Kaede, however, was a woman with intuition, and also had years of experience with impassive men so she could tell. Now her job was finally finished and she was pleased she had saved another life from danger.

"Will you prescribe him any medicine?" Sesshomaru asked, getting back on his feet to escort the healer to the elevator.

"This case is particular, for his body is quite unusual. For now, I'll only prescribe some minor medicine, but take heed—they still need to be taken. Have one of your men come by my office sometime tomorrow."

"Miroku will do so. I'll have him drive you back and buy you some new clothes." One look at her clothes told him that they were far too dirty to be reused.

"Your concern is not necessary, sir. I can handle these stains myself. Please do call me again if anything should happen to the man."

Sesshomaru nodded. "I appreciate your help with Myoga's case, as well as your coming today." He said, as Kaede bowed to him one last time before she disappeared behind the elevator doors.

He flipped open his cellphone and called Miroku to order him to make sure that the woman got home safely. More food would be needed, as the batches his subordinate brought back earlier were either finished or cold. Silverclaw would need something warm to eat. Constantly making sure that there was a supply of warm food around was not exactly the best idea but Sesshomaru didn't want Silverclaw to have to wait to eat—the man probably hadn't eaten for days—and he didn't know when he would awaken.

Then a loud bang was heard and Sesshomaru rushed back to see what had happened. Silverclaw had regained his conscience and was now in his kitchen.

"Silverclaw!" Sesshomaru called out to the man. He was limping and looked ever so delicate. Surely, he would fall. Sesshomaru was running and reaching his arms out before even realizing what he was doing. But he had to stop in his tracks. Sesshomaru had assumed that the man was helpless; he didn't know how irrepressible he really was.

Silverclaw had picked up a large knife with the only thing he could still use—his mouth.

"Be calm, Silverclaw. I mean no harm." But before he could continue, Inuyasha made his one last desperate move to escape.

Panting heavily, he did his best to ignore the pain of his beaten body, and thrust his weight towards Sesshomaru. His eyes thundered with passion—the desire to survive. Sesshomaru's eyes met with his and he felt not fear, but his own strong desires—he wanted to protect this man.

Silverclaw turned his head to the side slightly to make sure the sharp end of the knife would hit his enemy. He was not using his own 'claws' but he was still better with knives than guns and he was thankful he found one in the kitchen.

Sesshomaru dodged the blade and reached for a part of its hilt, hoping to get Silverclaw to release it. If he had been against an amateur, he would have surely succeeded, but Silverclaw had just as much experience in fighting as him. He had anticipated Sesshomaru would reach for his knife by the side he moved to as he dodged, so he had quickly turned his head again, in sync with his opponent's motion. His perfect timing succeeded in cutting the palm of Sesshomaru's hand, but he had forgotten that his useless arms were vulnerable to capture.

Sesshomaru didn't even react to his hand being injured. When Silverclaw's arms were unguarded, he grabbed his right and pulled the man towards him roughly. He quickly wrapped his left arm around the younger man's waist to prevent him from escaping.

The sudden contact of their bodies and the transfer of the heat between them made Silverclaw wince, in both pain and in fear. As he twisted his head again, to enact another blow, Sesshomaru grabbed his head gently and turn his face away so that the knife was made useless.

"Argh!" The injured man struggled to free himself, but he couldn't ignore the pain anymore. He stopped moving when he felt dizziness and when his field of vision began to blur. He had experienced too much blood loss. In that one split second however, Sesshomaru swiftly turned his head, so that they would face each other, and then dove in for a rough kiss, the knife still in Silverclaw's mouth.

The shock of the new turn of events made Silverclaw loosen his teeth's grip on the knife's hilt. Again, Sesshomaru made use of his weaknesses, and retrieved the knife from Silverclaw's mouth. Spitting the weapon as far as he could, Sesshomaru turned back to stare at the delicate man he was holding in his strong arms.

"Stop struggling, Silverclaw!" Sesshomaru shook him a little bit. But that only made the man dizzy and weak in his knees again. He would have fallen had Sesshomaru not caught him.

"N-No… L-Let me go!" He cried out in distress.

"I can't, you fool! Your wounds—"

"Please…! I-I just want to go home!" Tears were once again coming to his eyes, against his will. Inuyasha didn't want to show his weak side to anyone. Especially not this person. But he was just so tired now… Every attempt to escape had failed and every effort to ignore the pain was hopeless.

"I won't let you leave. Not until—"

"Why, damn it? I really didn't do anything to your friend... I only helped him, you stupid bastard!" Inuyasha rammed his head towards Sesshomaru's chin, taking advantage of their proximity and hoping again to get away. But Sesshomaru just moved his neckline to where his chin was, effectively deepening their embrace. He held Inuyasha there in place as silent his tears wet the collar of his shirt.

Sighing, Sesshomaru whispered into his ear, "I know you are not my enemy now. Far from it actually. So don't make me yours. I want you to rest and heal, do you understand?"

"Fuck you, this is probably another one of your amusing ideas." Inuyasha let the man hold him and lift him up slightly, his bottom sitting on his strong arms. "My ass still hurts…"

Inuyasha had lost control of his body again. He wanted to move, but couldn't. The tall man's last words made him feel relieved, but only a tiny bit. He couldn't trust the guy that easily yet. He wouldn't have even given the asshole a chance if only his body wasn't so weak with injuries right now.

Sesshomaru chuckled in response to Inuyasha's complaint. As he carried Silverclaw to his own bedroom, his hand reached his butt and rubbed it affectionately.

"That ain't helpin', asshole." Inuyasha closed his eyes, sensing that his vision screwing up again. Breathing in Sesshomaru's scent, he cursed himself as he felt his own body relax.

"I'll make you feel better—way better—after you heal. Just rest for now." Sesshomaru smirked as he placed Silverclaw in his own king-sized bed and got in with him, pulling the sheets over them.

"No, after I heal, I'll kick your ass…." He mumbled, feeling his severe fatigue dragging him back to sleep.

"Sleep." Sesshomaru ordered.

"Feels…different…"

As if understand exactly what he meant, Sesshomaru replied, "We're in my room. The guestroom's probably filthy by now."

"Hm…" Sleep was right around the corner.

"…Tell me your name, Silverclaw." The older man asked, before it was too late.

"Why…"

"Tell me."

"…Inu…yasha…"

"I see." Sesshomaru unintentionally smiled. But this time, he chose not to think too much about it. He removed some of Inuyasha's hair from his face and caressed his baby soft cheek, now showing more colour than it had before. He held Inuyasha close to his chest, feeling bliss as they exchanged heat, and breathed in his additive citrusy scent. It seemed sleep had no mercy on anyone for even though Sesshomaru wanted to continue looking at Inuyasha, he soon dozed off himself. It had been a long couple of days.

Okay… maybe this was too long….

Should probably shorten it next time, haha.

Anyway, I hoped you liked the new chapter. I think a few mistakes. But I'm like Inu and Sess, too tired right now to do anything, lol. Maybe I will fix later.

Please do review if you enjoyed my story, as they really do encourage me to continue writing. /grin

See you next time!


	4. Beginning

Thank you so much for reviewing, for those who did! I was honestly surprised by how many I got, haha. I pretty much wasted 5 minute of my life I'll never get back just staring at the computer screen (laugh).

Please read disclaimer before reading, thanks!

Chapter Four: Beginning

Inuyasha was brought out of his snug sleep upon the invasion of sunlight on his face. His eyes answered with an uncomfortable twitch to the sudden brilliance. When he tried to turn his head away, he found himself unable to move.

Opening his eyes slowly, he found himself lying on his left side in a large, spacious room of white minimalistic elegance. Everything was coloured white, with the exception of a few black objects and hints of green from cleverly placed bamboo. Suddenly, all became clear as the memories of the past few days rushed into his head almost instantly.

He tried moving his limbs and felt pain shoot up from several areas, some worse than others. He was however, relieved to find that he hadn't sustained any new injuries since the last time he regained consciousness. In fact, he was even able to slightly move some of his fingers now.

This was good news, he was healing.

…Which meant he would be able to escape very soon.

Unfortunately, his body still hadn't completely recuperated yet. In his current condition, he wouldn't even be able to turn the knob of a door. It was distressing that his wounds haven't healed completely as the process would normally take a much shorter time to complete. But then again, he did get fucked up pretty bad.

'This shitty asshole…' He thought, baring his teeth at the man behind him who was holding him in place.

The scent that occupied his nostrils convinced him that the owner of the arms currently wrapped around his waist and chest was his captor. Although it seemed that the man had realized his mistake, Inuyasha was still uncomfortable being so close to him. He would need time to heal, so he decided that he'll risk staying here until he can freely move his limbs. But the second he can do so, he'd bolt. Who knows? Maybe he'll turn back into an enemy later. Inuyasha couldn't tell for sure. Too dangerous.

But for now, Inuyasha only had one thing on his mind: to escape the man's present clutch, for his captor was stronger than him right now. Plus, he realized he was currently stark naked, excluding for the bandages wrapped tightly around his wrists, chest, hips and thigh, while the taller man was fully clothed. He blushed, realizing that he had nothing on during his desperate endeavor to escape yesterday morning. He was drunk on pain and anxiety, so he hadn't bothered to dress himself, let alone realize his bareness. Gah, how embarrassing…

Shaking his head fervently, he turned back to more important matters.

While the taller man was still soundly asleep, Inuyasha tried to wiggle himself down the bed, hoping that would be enough to get out of Sesshomaru's hold. It was extremely awkward—he felt like the caterpillar of the Papilio Ulysses he had seen in Australia during his last assassination assignment —but it was, sadly, the only thing he could do considering current circumstances. As he tried to get away, however, he felt the man tighten his grip around his body. Inuyasha began resisting more aggressively, ignoring the stings on his back, until he was pulled against the man's chest with even greater force. Inuyasha then stopped his struggling. He can't have him gain consciousness when his back was to him—it could be lethal.

But his stillness only gave the man a chance to ravish his body. Inuyasha felt fingers creeping up to the side of his collar bone that wasn't covered by binds, and rubbing the smooth skin there. He recoiled backward as a finger dipped rhythmically in and out of the indent. The warm palm then trailed downward and repeated its movements on Inuyasha's bellybutton. He flinched at the pain that emitted from his hips as he pushed his ass back, attempting to get away from the sensual strokes.

Worst idea ever.

Sesshomaru simply changed targets. The hand was now dangerously close to his bare groin. Inuyasha panicked. He again tried to get away, but soon regretted ever trying. By pushing farther back, he unwittingly left the care of his nude buttocks to Sesshomaru's other hand.

It was a lose-lose situation. Inuyasha had to sacrifice either his ass or his manhood. Needless to say, he was not ready to give either to his captor. 'Fuck, did I just get played?' He cursed. There was really only one solution left.

"I-I get it already! Ah!" Sesshomaru's long legs wrapped themselves around Inuyasha's, preventing their use. All the while, his arms continued their presumptuous play.

"Oi! Stop it!" Fucking hell, the prurient bastard was still asleep!

"Wake up already!" Inuyasha did an uppercut on the man's chin as he drove his head upwards.

"Umph." Haha, success! Now he'll stop playing around with Inuyasha's body.

…Or not. The hands didn't seem like they were going to let go anytime soon, much to Inuyasha's dismay.

"How could you be so lively even in the morning, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru whispered huskily into the younger man's right ear.

"You would be freaked out too if you were being sexually harassed, you dumbass!" Inuyasha chided. He actually wasn't much of a morning person. This habit was thanks to his previous vocation. Unless going undercover was essential, he performed his work usually in the evenings. Killing someone in broad daylight wasn't exactly a smart move, especially since he was a close-ranged fighter, so he would often sleep during the day and work throughout the night.

He guessed that was why people could only feebly dub him 'Silverclaw'—the darkness hid his face well but his full hair was hell to conceal, and it being silver meant it did a damn good job of reflecting light. The claw part, Inuyasha assumed, probably came from a pussy who was scared shitless from seeing the large gashes he painted on all his targets—his signature so to speak.

"Not if you were the one assaulting me, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru cajoled, running his hands all over the smaller man's exposed skin.

"W-What are you doing?" Goosebumps protruded from his skin as Sesshomaru continued his fun.

"Hmm. Checking your wounds. Inu—"

"Bullshit, you pervert." Inuyasha hissed. "And stop saying my name already, I don't even know you!" He wished his wounds were already healed, because then he could pay the lecher back tenfold. He had never experienced so much humiliation. This fucker really made him feel weak. And he hated feeling weak more than anything.

Sesshomaru sighed, "Alright, fine. Now stop overexerting yourself. Your body's still healing." He reluctantly rescinded his arms and moved away, pushing himself up with his elbows. Finally free, Inuyasha turned to rest on his back. All that shuffling had strained his entire left side, especially his shoulders. The friction had caused his skin to glow pink and its contact with the cool air felt like bliss.

"You're the one that—" He started, before he was cut off.

"And my name is Sesshomaru. Now you know me." Sesshomaru interrupted blatantly.

Inuyasha swore Sesshomaru was the most stupid guy he had ever met. He couldn't believe he let someone like him capture him! The last time he checked, simply knowing someone's name did NOT equal knowing each other. Before he could proceed to mock the man, a loud rumble reverberated in the room. Sesshomaru did his best to hold back a snicker as Inuyasha blinked.

God, how the hell could his body do this to him right now... As if he wasn't already embarrassed by his nakedness. 'You traitor', he thought as he glared at his unfriendly stomach. Consequently, discomfort shot up from his back muscles, which only troubled Inuyasha even more.

Sesshomaru lifted himself gracefully off the bed. "Sushi or Chinese?" He asked, suddenly remembering the posters of food he had seen on the kitchen cupboards in Inuyasha's apartment. Unfortunately for Inuyasha, being poor meant he could only gaze and admire at such lavish food. Sesshomaru began to strip as he walked over to the closet to get a cleaner set of clothes.

Inuyasha looked away, contemplating what he should do. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru lazily tossed on a white dress shirt and a pair of long, black suit pants. The injured man knew he hadn't eaten for days and was in truth starving. He also realized that more energy was needed if he wanted to heal faster. But he could wait, he thought, remembering back to how he had lasted for longer periods of time without food when a mission called for it.

"...I can get food for myself later." He obdurately replied, 'Yeah right, I probably don't even have enough money to buy groceries.'

Sesshomaru frowned at his response, immediately picking up what he was implying.

"I have no intention of contaminating the food, Inuyasha."

Spinning his head around, Inuyasha scowled at Sesshomaru. "You tried to fucking kill me! I wouldn't be surprised if you did poison me!"

He was right on the first part, but it was his last words that angered Sesshomaru.

"I clearly stated that I wouldn't hurt you!" The yakuza snarled, slamming his fist hard against the wall beside him and leaving behind a small dent. Inuyasha jumped, startled by his loud voice. The warning look in Sesshomaru's eyes made him flinch. Any other person would have looked away in fear of being burned by his fiery gaze, but Inuyasha knew better than to let his guard down another time. Not letting the bigger man's extremely well-toned body exposed through his unbuttoned shirt scare him, Inuyasha glared back as best he could.

Only someone as sharp as Sesshomaru could notice the silver haired beauty's faint trembling. One hand reached up to pinch the area between his closed eyes, while the other rested on his hip. He exhaled deeply. When he was sure he was composed enough to talk, he looked over to Inuyasha again.

"You need to eat. You can either tell me what you want or I can get back into bed and do things to you that'll leave you so starved, you'll be begging me to feed you." Sesshomaru threatened. Persuading the restless man would never get things done. Pressuring him, however, had proved to be a better solution.

The yakuza's expression suddenly softened, unable to believe how adorable Inuyasha was. His confused expression meant he hadn't recognized the meaning behind Sesshomaru's words. He then turned away in deep thought, staring at the ceiling as if it was the most interesting thing in the world. And lastly, his eyes grew wide and his succulent lips opened in shock. What pretty pearly teeth.

"Y-You! You can't do that! Y-You're not a man if you do that to an injured person!" He stammered helplessly as Sesshomaru laughed out loud for the first time in a long, long while. He came to realize that it would be much too arduous of a task to hold himself back every time the younger man tugged at his heart—which happened much too often for his liking. Inuyasha was like a breath of fresh winter air that Sesshomaru found intolerably addictive. He wondered if his sanity could survive this man's hidden charm.

Too bad teasing the man was the only way Sesshomaru could get even. With a small grin on his face, he walked slowly towards the bed, deliberately holding his unblinking gaze so as to prevent Inuyasha from looking away.

"H-Hey, don't come any closer!" Three steps.

"Wait, y-you were only joking, right?" Closer.

"I'll really kick your ass, you know!" Target within range.

"Stop, stop, stop! I'll eat, I'll eat!" Sesshomaru's hand reached for Inuyasha.

"Sesshomaru!" He stopped, the tips of his fingers inches away from Inuyasha's face. Damn it, the man really never ceases to surprise Sesshomaru. He withdrew his hands and sat down on the side of the bed, not once breaking his stare.

"I'll really be angry if you ever call me by any other name." He said wickedly, gaining a pout from the irritated man below him. Sesshomaru was pretty hungry himself and wanted nothing but to devour Inuyasha's lower lip at that instant, but there were more important issues at hand. He quickly nodded towards the bedroom door as he said:

"Time to eat." He wrapped the covers loosely around Inuyasha as he picked him up by his waist and placed him gently on his arms. He had to make sure he didn't touch his wounds. Sesshomaru swiftly picked up his cellphone from his bedside desk as he walked towards the door.

"...-shi."

"What's that?"

"…I want sushi." Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow as he stared up at Inuyasha.

"What? You're the one who asked."

"Indeed I did," he replied through an uncharacteristic smile.

The two entered the living room and Sesshomaru seated Inuyasha gently on the long couch. Inuyasha starred at the large containers of food on the glass table in front of him. Drooling, his stomach growled as he eyed a large box full of sushi. He looked up at Sesshomaru, desperate for him to feed him as his wrists were still unusable. But the taller man had flipped his cellphone open to make a call.

"I'll get you sushi in a minute."

"But there's some right here." Inuyasha said, glancing back to the table.

"I'm throwing it away. It's been there since last night and it's cold."

"Sushi is usually eaten cold, you know."

"I want you to eat it warm. Some hot soup would be good, too."

"Okay, fine. But we have soup, too. Don't you have a microwave?"

"Yes."

"Then just warm it up! Don't waste perfectly good food." Inuyasha couldn't believe it. This man has probably never experienced a moment of poverty in his entire life! Sushi was way expensive and there was a huge order of it lying on the table. It probably costed more than Inuyasha's entire life savings! No way was he going to settle into Sesshomaru's pace, or else Inuyasha was sure he'd go insane.

"Why would you want leftovers when I can—"

"Either you warm it up or you're eating by yourself."

Defeated, Sesshomaru closed his phone and left it on the table as he picked up the boxes and headed towards the kitchen. In a few minutes, he was back with microwaved sushi in one hand and a pair of chopsticks in the other.

Feeding Inuyasha proved to be a very rewarding task. Sesshomaru noted that the man was easily impressed with ordinary food. He also had a healthy appetite, which Sesshomaru appreciated. The occasional licking of his lips was such an alluring scene that Sesshomaru found himself holding his breath every time it happened. The bed sheets, which were doing a painfully slow job as revealing some of the man's supple but toned muscles underneath, weren't helping. Sesshomaru mentally groaned. What was he thinking last night? How could he have promised to touch this man only after he healed?

Inuyasha's pulchritude was flawless now that the wounds on his face were fully healed. Sesshomaru could feel himself harden, but luckily Inuyasha had been too engrossed in eating to notice. It was so unusual. He had never kept himself from sating his fervent lust on previous accounts. Neither had he bothered to consider his partners' sentiments. But something in the back of his head was telling him that if he touched Inuyasha now, when he's in such a vulnerable condition, he'll surely come to regret it. He'll have to let him go. For now.

After calming down his boner, his attention went back to the cause of it.

Inuyasha's tastebuds were in heaven right now. It had been so long since he had eaten anything so delicious. Even the soup that Sesshomaru persuaded him to drink was good. So good that he found himself asking for seconds even when his gut told him he was already full. I mean, come on! Who knows when he'll get another meal like this—and for free? Yeah, okay, not likely. He smiled as he finished up his last bite, chewing the food for longer than usual and letting it do a little dance with his tongue to savour its essence for even just a bit longer. But alas, it would need to be swallowed and take residence in his stomach, if he ever wanted to talk.

"I can't believe you were going to dump all that. It was really good." He licked his lips for one final taste. "Thanks," Inuysha said casually, caught up in the moment.

"…Why?" Sesshomaru asked, a little doubtful.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"…"

"Oh, shit, I did not just say that." Inuyasha cursed himself. Excuse… excuse, need to find an excuse and quick! "Uh, well, you're a bastard and all, but you still fed me. The sushi saved your ass."

Obviously his cover didn't work. Sesshomaru was about stroke the man's cheek when his phone suddenly rang. What horrible timing. The digital clock displayed on the front screen told him it was currently 10:47AM. The caller was Miroku. Note to self, kill the stupid man later for interrupting. And after all that trouble forgiving him, too. Tracking down an 11-year fugitive who had owed the organization millions of dollars from an old illegal transaction didn't seem so creditable anymore.

"What is it?" He growled menacingly.

"Sorry, boss. I don't mean to bother you, but the meeting with our partners and dispatches across Asia and Europe is scheduled for today. Postponing it any further would give rise to suspicion if some of our men were to arrive back later than originally planned. And the issue with the Russian mafia can't be ignored anymore."

Shit. The Russian mafia had a long-term ongoing conflict with the Japanese yakuza that launched after the legalization of private entrepreneurship which allowed free trade. It all began when Sesshomaru entered the Soviet Union to set up several quality arms factories with the intention of forming a new underground business network within the country. The process took longer than he had expected—about half a year—and during that time, the unexpected had happened. The top Bratva had been impressed with Sesshomaru's capabilities as well as his influence throughout Asia, and therefore responded positively to the corporate proposal. Or at least it was so until the alliance officially separated into two opposing syndicates within 3 months of his arrival, due to internal clashes regarding hierarchy.

Of course, Sesshomaru was a sought-after ally as he held a lot of power. Both groups did everything they could to get his name, for the downside of the inevitable split was that their power within the country divided and weakened as the organization's members began choosing sides. When Sesshomaru chose Obshina over Orekhov for their higher revenue potential, a harsh feud began with Orekhov. Business had just begun and Sesshomaru didn't want any disturbance so he designated two of his best men to infiltrate Orekhov. They were doing an excellent job and Orekhov would have been wiped out half a year ago had a new leader not forcibly took over and saved it from extinction. There was very little information on the newly revamped group so Sesshomaru instructed his spies to gather intelligence. The new leader however, wasn't as stupid or heedless as the previous and suspicions rose almost instantly. Things there have been tense ever since.

"Have our men arrived?"

"Yes, they are awaiting your presence in the private lobby." Miroku confirmed.

"Prepare the conference room on the 18th floor."

"You got it, boss." Miroku began arrangements for a formal welcome back.

Sesshomaru turned back to Inuyasha to find him staring back at him.

"I guess you're not going to eat." Inuyasha questioned him drowsily.

"No, there are things I must do." Sesshomaru noticed his slowly fluttering eyes that indicated the tug of slumber. Feeling drowsy after eating is a common response, especially when one is wounded. He didn't like how Inuyasha was trying his hardest to stay awake. He still didn't trust Sesshomaru.

"Inuyasha, go sleep in the bedroom." The adorable man just shook his head childishly.

"I'm leaving, so go rest. Only I have access to this suite, so don't worry about getting disturbed. You can walk to the bedroom, right?" Sesshomaru wanted to carry him back himself, but he was urgently needed in the conference room.

Inuyasha could only manage a slight groan as Sesshomaru tried to rush him towards the bedroom, thus utterly destroying the comfortable position he established on the couch. He didn't want to go back to sleep in an unfamiliar place but if Sesshomaru was telling the truth, he wouldn't have to worry about any potential threats to his life. Giving in to his lethargy, he reached his destination and walked sluggishly through the open door and into the bedroom. He released his chin's hold on the bed sheets that covered his body and fell down on the bed among the cotton.

Sesshomaru heard a small plop come from his bedroom as he finished putting on his professional attire. He had fixed up his shirt and put on a nice tie and a suit jacket that he grabbed from the coat hanger near the door. There was no time to grab a pair of socks and he didn't want to wake Inuyasha up so he put on his shoes without them and headed out the door. Making sure the card key was in his pocket, he headed to the elevator.

Its shiny doors reflected a tall, handsome man, whose figure expanded as he came closer and closer.

"Sir!" The 8 men called in respect as they lined up orderly on each side of Sesshomaru.

Sesshomaru nodded. "Welcome back, men. Miroku." The man suddenly appeared from behind, bowing deeply to him.

"Yes, boss. The room is ready." As Sesshomaru passed the dispatches and walked calmly towards the conference room, the men uniformly followed behind him him.

When everyone was seated around the long rectangular table and Miroku stationed himself next to the closed door, the boss began his questioning:

"Koh and Aoi, how are the operations in Russia?"

Two middle-sized men stood up and began their report. The slightly taller, pale, muscular man called Koh spoke as the other handed important invoices and several investigation reports to Sesshomaru. His dirty blond hair was gelled back, keeping his short bangs away from his face as he made eye contact.

"Sir, Orekhov is closing in on our arm trafficking operations to the rest of Europe. Our business with Italy however, is steadily increasing as Orekhov is still not strong enough to go up against the Italian mafia. As you know, Markov, Orekhov's current leader, wants our factories for himself. It would certainly greatly increase the group's financial power. Due to his… special interests, the only way they were getting by is through human trafficking, prostitution, and pornography. Markov has recently gotten a hold of information that could take over the drug trafficking in the country. Some of the underground routes he plans to use connect with ours."

"Where did he get the information?" Sesshomaru asked.

"From Markov's spy in Poland, who I have convinced to become my double agent." Koh answered. He was a very reliable man who rarely let anything slips pass him. But what Sesshomaru liked was his unparalleled persuasive skills. This was qualified on account of his fluency in over 8 languages. Before receiving the order to penetrate Orekhov, Koh had been an emissary who often accompanied Sesshomaru to business and coalition negotiations.

"When is the take over?" Sesshomaru asked as he scanned the papers in his hands.

"His favourite lover, a male Chinese thief named Fei, has told me that Markov will be ready to move in about three months. He's succeeded in threatening some companies over to his side, while completely shutting down a few others. The top drug trafficking joint is doing well in holding Markov off but it won't last long. Their boss has a proposition for you, sir."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"For our protection, they will give us 5% of their profits or goods and secret routes that will enable us to trade with parts of Africa."

"Increase it to 10%," Sesshomaru instructed of Koh, "And Aoi, I want you to use it for foreign currency counterfeiting and identity document forgery, for smoother dealings." To which the sharp faced man with glasses responded, "Yes, boss." Aoi stood in as the manager of all the factories the organization owned in Russia since Koh had to be physically present in Orekhov as a spy. The two worked together to collect intelligence while ensuring that business was keeping up.

"Rong, I want all of Orekhov's business with China cut off. Make it happen."

A young Chinese man in a traditional golden Changshan stood up and bowed. "I will do so." Rong was a descendent of the imperial family in China and his clan was one of the few that did not lose its nobility, status, power, or wealth over the years. The mighty dragon adorning the silk clothing that covered his back was proof of that. This was partially due to Sesshomaru's influence, but since the ingenious Rong took over as head, his clan's power had increased tenfold and its network now covered almost all of China.

He had utmost respect for Sesshomaru for he was the only man his strong father bowed to. As a teenager, he saw his father and Sesshomaru take over China's underground and seas when the government had threatened to destroy his family. Now Rong had the government wrapped around his fingers with a large sum of financial debt. Sesshomaru also singlehandedly exacted revenge for his father when he was murdered by an opposing noble family. Their long history together ensured an unbreakable bond of trust between the two. As far as Rong was concerned, Sesshomaru was like his brother, if not a father.

"When Markov's prostitution business goes down in three months, he'll need to find another source for Asian… delicacies," a comment to which the men in the room chuckled, "Jiang, you will then offer him your services and disguise your women as prostitutes. Work with Rong and Koh. They'll help you. Can you do that for me?" Sesshomaru did not want to offend Jiang, whose wife led a huge society of female assassins in Taiwan. He and his wife were close friends of Sesshomaru's—hell, it was him who encouraged them to get together.

Jiang used to be a nobody, until he approached Sesshomaru to cheat him out of his money—a plan that obviously didn't work out very well. But his courage and will to survive impressed Sesshomaru. Instead of buying Jiang's fake car, he gave him the means to start his own automobile business which has since taken the top seat in Japan. During a mission in Taiwan, Jiang met Ling, who was the heiress to a cult from her grandmother's side and a large fortune from her father's side. The two fell in love and married despite the odds and oppositions. Jiang was later given permission to move permanently to Taiwan and he and his wife now ruled Taiwan's economy and underground society. He is indebted to Sesshomaru for his trust, his assistance and for giving him the love of his life. Asking to leave Japan was the hardest thing he had ever done because he felt like he was betraying the very man who made him who he was. When Sesshomaru granted his request, he kissed his boss's hand and swore to the heavens: 'I will become the 'King' of Taiwan but the God who will forever rule over this king is Sesshomaru.'

"Of course I can. Ling has been dying to repay you for all the things you've done for us. You don't need to ever ask, we will always follow you." The tall, slightly tanned man stood up and bowed deeply, his long braid falling to the side of his face. When he sat back down, he had a smile on his face.

"How is Ling?" Sesshomaru asked as he drank the tea Miroku had prepared earlier.

"She is wonderful, sir. Often mentions how much she misses your beautiful hair." Jiang chuckled at his wife's deep love for all things exotic.

"Don't worry, you'll catch up to me in no time." Sesshomaru assured him, which Jiang replied to with a playful, "I sure do hope so."

"Now then, I will leave Orekhov to you four to deal with. Get rid of Markov before he makes his move and make sure to steal the information he has. If he has a backup or if the organization chooses to act without a leader in desperation, their lack of funds will prevent them from getting in our way. Koh, you have permission to mention my name to Obshina in case you need any more assistance. They know the country better than you. You four have my permission to kill anyone who could potentially become a threat to me or you, understood?"

The four answered in unison, "Yes."

"And above all, you will—"

"Yes, yes. We will come back alive." Rong finished for Sesshomaru with a grin.

"We don't plan to die. Although for you, we would be honoured to." Jiang added.

"I am unable to tell my future, boss. But I will accomplish the mission with Aoi no matter the means." Koh promised.

Sesshomaru nodded. His partners and agents knew him far too well. Well, they have been working together for so long. They knew that Sesshomaru would eradicate anyone who touched his men. Threatening them would be threatening Sesshomaru himself and that was something nobody ever got away with. The thousands of corpses underneath cemeteries from around the world was proof of that.

The annual meeting continued to proceed well into the evening with an hour break during the afternoon for the men to eat lunch. Miroku made sure everyone was comfortable and had everything they needed. Sesshomaru decided to forget about his earlier interruption and spare his life for a job well done. Various issues, new, old, and current were discussed and Sesshomaru efficiently dealt with every one of them. The speed at which he presented creative solutions and clever instructions still surprised his men. They confirmed once again their pride in being Sesshomaru's follower. Their leader would remain undefeated, especially when he had them behind him.

It was now almost 6:30PM and the final report was being presented. Kim, under Sesshomaru's instructions, snuck into Korea and infiltrated their black market. For years, Sesshomaru had wanted to form an alliance with the geondals and jopoks of Korea, but there never appeared a real 'king'. Even when potential candidates emerged, they didn't last very long. The very few who did weren't interested in working with Japan, for Sesshomaru had under his protection Rong, the underground 'king' of China. The Korean and Chinese mafia were rivals for a cruel period in history, but even when new heirs took over, the tension between the two groups never vanished. When Rong, for Sesshomaru's sake, tried to make peace with them, the Koreans flatly refused.

"Sir, I have good news." Kim said, with a big smile on his face.

"Do share." Sesshomaru urged, hoping an opportunity to get Korea to his side would present itself. The formidable man already had the major powers of North America and Europe on his team. If Korea would stop being so stubborn, he would also have every power in Asia as a partner. But even after so many years, the matter remained in a standstill.

Kim continued. "You were informed in last year's meeting that a potential 'king' had appeared. The man I mentioned could very well be the one we've been looking for. His status and power in Korea continues to rise and almost every current underground association has recognized him as the boss. They're going so far as to call him 'Kingpin'."

"Is he any good?" Jiang probed.

"If he is anything less than respectable, I have no desire to negotiate with him." Rong stated flatly. He was still upset that he was refused the last time he tried talking to the Koreans.

"No sirs, he is very reputable. Our customers in Korea are even comparing him to Sesshomaru of Japan, namely you, boss." Kim nodded to his superior. The sociable man had very sharp ears and a remarkable memory that made him one of the best data collectors Sesshomaru had ever seen. The amount of inside information he had in that skull of his was truly impressive.

"Interesting. Perhaps I should meet with the man." Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow. He hoped the information on this 'kingpin' was satisfactory. Kim stood up and passed to him a file with the mysterious man's information.

"I believe that can be easily arranged, sir. He is currently in Japan right now. On a side note, his absence also allowed our business in Korea's black market to expand." Sesshomaru would have to reward the man for his hard work. Good news was certainly enjoyable to hear. But there was something that didn't make sense.

"What reason would he have to enter Japan?" Sesshomaru inquired. Most of the Korean leaders he had known over the years did their best to stay away from Japan, so this course of action was very peculiar.

Kim laughed, knowing how amusing his answer would be.

"It seems he's come here in search of someone—his future wife, so to speak. As you know, the Korean mafia thinks very differently from us. To them, attaining a loyal wife strong enough to support her husband in every aspect and protect him against danger is an admirable feat. Like yin and yang, the complimentary two will be expected to lead the organization to the top. Koreans believe that the ability to choose such a wife is a characteristic that only the best bosses can have. And the current 'Kingpin' seems to think so too."

"But a Korean crime boss with a Japanese wife? Ha!" Jiang snickered at the irony.

"He must be out of his mind. As I thought, I cannot meet with such a man." Rong frowned, shaking his head.

"Surely his delegates do not support him?" Koh asked, flabbergasted.

"No, it seems they are even encouraging the kingpin to go after this Japanese. The person is apparently infamous within Korean mafia history for being extremely strong and beautiful. Many at the top wanted this 'Silverclaw' person—"

"WHAT?" Miroku cried, as Sesshomaru suddenly sprung up from his seat, effectively knocking the leather chair over. While Miroku looked like he had seen a ghost, Sesshomaru had the most unanticipated expression the men in the room had ever seen. Their boss suddenly ran out the conference room door without a word, the papers clasped tightly in his palms.

"What has happened?" Koh yelled, worry clearly on his face.

"Miroku, where's Sesshomaru going?" Jiang asked impatiently.

"Who is this Silverclaw person?" Rong demanded.

"K-Kim, what were you saying about Silverclaw?" Miroku gulped. No way, was it for real?

"I don't know, I-I just heard from… That many of those in high-position in the Korean mafia wanted this Silverclaw person for themselves, but it seems information on her is extremely hard to find. No one even knew her nationality until the current kingpin announced it. The two seemed to have a history, so they all admitted defeat. I-If the kingpin managed to get Silverclaw as his wife, then he'll gain the full support of all the delegates. H-He'll stand at the top. "

"Fuck, now what?" Miroku groaned heavily to the ground as the other men starred at him in utter confusion.

Sesshomaru grabbed his card key and ran into the elevator. Within minutes, he was inside his private suite. Without even closing the suite door, he immediately ran towards his bedroom. The door was still open, like he had left it. But this relieved him only the slightest bit.

He stood unmoving at the entrance as he took everything in. An empty bed. The digital clock at the head flashed 6:38PM. There was no sign of Inuyasha anywhere in the room. Only long strips of bloody bandages were left behind on the bed and on the floor. Sesshomaru immediately dashed for the bathroom, then the closet, then the kitchen and to every corner of his suite.

Nothing.

Inuyasha was gone.

When Sesshomaru screamed his name, only silence bothered to answer him.

Did he leave?

Getting into the suite required the card key. But getting out was as simple as pressing the button to the ground floor. Sesshomaru had underestimated Inuyasha's healing abilities. Fuck.

Then Sesshomaru noticed the files that were still in his hands. He tried to flatten them, but the papers would never truly regain their original shape. He looked through furrowed brows at the secretly taken photo of a black ponytailed man smoking a Malboro beside a silver Lamborghini that sparkled under the nightlights. His eyes made its way to the bolded text beside the photograph:

Kouga.

-

Well, fuck. These just keep getting longer don't they?

I planned to make the new chapter a little bit longer because you guys had asked for it but maybe I overdid it. Sorry! I hope it didn't cause any inconveniences. (I've read some stories with really long chapters before too and I ended up procrastinating big time because I was so hooked on reading it all, haha…)

AND DUN DUN DUN, A LOVE RIVAL APPEARS. TAKE THAT SESSHOMARU. /pets Inuyasha (laugh)

Anyway, please review if you enjoyed the new chapter! They make me want to continue writing!

Thanks a lot for the support so far! Hopefully I didn't make many mistakes this time around, haha.

See you next time!


	5. Silverclaw

Read disclaimer first before continuing! Thanks!

Chapter Five: Silverclaw

"Holy fuck… I can't believe it." Inuyasha groaned in annoyance. His hands were in his hair as he starred at the depressing scene in front of him.

(Flashback)

Hours earlier, he had woken up in Sesshomaru's suite again. When he realized he could freely move his limbs again, he rejoiced. His back wasn't fully healed yet but what the hell did it matter as long as his arms and legs worked? He stuck himself to the wall and peered outside the bedroom. When he didn't see anyone in sight and heard only the sound of his breathing, he sighed long and hard. Stealing some more grub from Sesshomaru was a tempting idea but he really had to get back home. There was rent to be paid, and that broken door too… Oh shit, and the bullet holes in the walls! He would have to get another job… that is, if the landlady would still let him stay there.

Inuyasha quickly removed the wraps around his wrists and legs and let them fall down to the floor. It wasn't his room, so no point in being tidy. As he stretched, he heard some crackling and laughed.

"I feel like a crippled old man. But damn does it feel great good to move again!" Inuyasha felt a huge grin appear on his face. He just wasn't the type to stay in a place for too long; he thrived for action, it was just in his nature to be physically active. Even though it had been almost 4 years since he went into hibernation, his body was still one of a top assassin. He never lost his touch, thanks to the jobs he took on to get by. Most of them were considered laborious but Inuyasha performed them with great ease. At least the skills and experience he picked up over the years made it possible for him to work longer hours, which meant he usually earned a little bit more than others. Not that it made much of a difference.

Inuyasha went into Sesshomaru's deluxe closet and picked out a pair of baggy black pants, a black tux vest and a leather jacket. He couldn't wear anything tight since his back was still healing. He made sure everything fit loosely on him before he entered back into the bedroom.

"Time to jet!" He reminded himself as he cracked his knuckles. He picked up the clock on the bedside desk and ingrained the time in his head—it was 4:31PM. "Alright, there should be plenty of time for me to figure out where the hell I am and sneak away."

After throwing the device on the bed, he made his way to the exit. Good thing there were a pair of boots he could use, although they were two and a half sizes bigger. Stepping out of the suite, he found himself in a long, elegantly decorated hallway that led directly to an extravagant and likely custom-made elevator.

"The shitty bastard's a prick AND he's filthy rich." Inuyasha huffed. He thrust his middle finger towards the sky as he glared up at an imaginary superior being. "Seriously, what the hell are you doing up there? Jerking off on cloud nine while the rest of us are sitting on shit? Geez."

'I am so coming back to rob a fortune off of him later.'

As he entered the elevator, Inuyasha tried to decide which overly shiny button to press. Let's see… Should he press for the ground floor and risk getting questioned by security guards on duty?

…Nah, why waste time flooring the place and beating up weak cronies? Instead, he decided to go with the less tedious route—through the parking lot. Besides, getting a ride was probably a smart idea. He didn't know where this building was, but a car wouldn't hurt.

The elevator dinged before opening its doors to the main parking lot. Inuyasha immediately began searching for a car that he liked as he skillfully avoided the security cameras. It was so easy for him to pinpoint with absolute accuracy where the blind spots were. The building was fancy and all, but the level of security was just sad. Inuyasha almost felt a little bad. Almost.

After checking out 4 cars, he came upon a Jaguar XK Convertible. How nostalgic. He used to have one of these back in the day. Inuyasha picked up a 3 small rocks lying around and shot each of them with precision towards the lens a camera near the car, effectively destroying them. Now it was time to get friendly with his new baby. Inuyasha probed around and found 3 GPS tracking devices hidden away in the car. He uninstalled and removed them before smashing them against the asphalt ground with the boots he had 'borrowed' earlier.

"Your owner, oh correction: you're former owner, must have had some stick up his hole. Seriously, three trackers?" Inuyasha jumped lightly into the convertible and slammed his knuckles hard against an area near the key slot. Wiping away the debris, he reached into the new cavity and dug out several wires of various widths, lengths, and colours. He picked out three and ripped them in half so that the metal conductors inside were visible. Connecting two of the wires brought out a bright short-lived spark, which failed to burn skin. The engine then sprang into life. Inuyasha shifted the convertible and followed the tire tracks on the parking lot ground to the exit.

Before concluding his successful escape, he drove up to a camera and kissed his middle finger before flipping it off, all the while keeping his gaze. He smirked evilly. He just couldn't resist. There was no way. Not when he realized how satisfying it would be to finally grab a win over Sesshomaru. Too bad the cameras didn't record sound though—Inuyasha was familiar with the model—or else he would have left a very colourful message behind for his captor, too. Oh well.

"Security must be pissing their pants right now." Inuyasha laughed loudly as he drove away from the building. No matter which direction he went, he couldn't recognize the area. The Jaguar has a built in LCD touch screen Navigation System, but using it would be too risky. Instead, he pulled over and asked a lovely old couple on the sidewalk for some directions, before he headed towards the direction of his apartment. They weren't exactly the best choices, but Inuyasha didn't want anyone to notice the hole beside the wheel. Their glasses established their presbyopia. He didn't mind how much of his time they wasted, as long as he was able to avoid trouble. It took Inuyasha a long 2 hours to finally arrive back at his apartment, even with the Jaguar's speed.

(End Flashback)

And now look at the disaster in front of him! There stood his home… or at least what was left of it. His apartment looked as if a plane had flown through it and dragged with it a flock of birds with uncontrollable bowel movements. Fucking hell.

No choice but to flee now. There was no way in hell the landlady was going to accept his apology.

"That. Fucking. Jerk." Inuyasha growled through clenched teeth as he packed everything important to him (the ones that were still intact anyway) into a sports bag he had found lying around on the floor. "And. His. Stupid. Goddamn. Subordinate." Inuyasha noticed that some of his belongings were gone and so were his guns. The landlady probably had the police over to investigate. Good thing there were people who owed him in the Japanese fuzz. They'll make sure Inuyasha's identity stays hidden. "I should have made him buy me more sushi. Fuck."

The last items he stashed away were a couple of his outfits, the backup identification documents and wallet hidden in the cellar under his bed, and a water bottle. Inuyasha made sure to double check he didn't leave anything behind, because it was unlikely he'll ever come back. Then he ran back to the convertible, put the pedal to the metal and drove away as fast as he could. 'Well, it was nice while it lasted.' He thought, as the Jaguar disappeared into the horizon.

"Kim, tell me everything you know about Silverclaw and his status in Korea." Sesshomaru ordered, obviously not in the best of moods. He was now back in the conference room, addressing his men.

Rong and Jiang had, during his absence, taken the liberty to phone their men back in China and Taiwan to make necessary preparations for the mission Sesshomaru had entrusted to them earlier. As much as they wanted to discuss about Silverclaw, they knew better than to disrespect Sesshomaru by excluding him. The delegates in the room were sure that the subject of the meeting would change once their boss came back, so they decided it be wise to make way for another possible set of instructions.

If Sesshomaru had his way, he would have immediately began tracking Inuyasha down. The discovery of a clue only encouraged him more to take action. The only elevator with access to his suite had been at the parking lot floor before it arrived on the 18th floor to take Sesshomaru up. The elevator wasn't private; it could have been used by someone else during the time Sesshomaru was in the meeting. But as most of his men were strictly instructed not to use it unless the situation was dire, he knew it must have been Inuyasha's escape route.

Sesshomaru felt the security rooms calling out to him to pay them a visit as he had reentered elevator, but he was a commander and his men were still in the conference room waiting patiently for his return. His sudden abandonment, although uncontrollable, had not been justified. It was inappropriate action for an alpha leader such as himself; he would have to deal with his men first.

But that was partially an excuse.

In truth, Sesshomaru had the greatest shock of his life when he found out Inuyasha had run away. It had affected him more than the most fatal wound he had ever received. To say he wasn't the slightest bit fearful of what lied in store for him in the security rooms would be a lie.

Only one thought had comforted him as he reluctantly made his way back to the conference room: he could find out more about Inuyasha and his past. Oh and yes, Kouga. Korea's kingpin. Sesshomaru had deliberated meeting the man and offering him a partnership if the rumours of his prowess were true. But now he wanted to kill the man, just to keep him away from Inuyasha. Any probable future-contributions he could have made to Sesshomaru's organization could not sate his rising bloodlust. He had no doubt his men would agree to his wishes.

Truly, how laughable, Sesshomaru scoffed, remembering his earlier conversation with Kim. The Korean was not worthy of Inuyasha. He did not have the ability to woo such a beauty. The iron-willed hitman deserved more than being the 'wife' of such an inferior. Sesshomaru wanted to kill all those who had even considered comparing this pitiful man to him.

Straight up, there was only one thing that Sesshomaru and Kouga had in common: they both had good taste.

"H-His? But Silverclaw is a woman…"

"He is a man. Answer my question." Sesshomaru snarled crossly, as Kim's eyes widened. That certainly came as a big surprise to him, but he was more uncomfortable with the awareness of the inaccuracy of his intelligence. He had never once, while serving Sesshomaru, made such a mistake. Had he failed his boss?

When Sesshomuaru left earlier, his mind entered a state of distress for fear he had something to upset his boss. Kim mentally slapped himself for not providing his superiors and Miroku with proper information. He could only hope that they wouldn't start doubting his skills. The only way to revoke his embarrassment was to provide Sesshomaru with every little bit of information he had relating to man in question.

"Yes, sir! Silverclaw is considered a prize—a top catch—among the Korean mafia. But that is not to say everyone knew about him; no, only those at the very top knew of his existence. Simply knowing this entity and his worth was a sign of power. Most only know him as a top assassin with unparalleled beauty, but that does not contain the whole story. Silverclaw first rose to fame when he openly invaded headquarters and murdered the top kingpin almost a decade back.

"His target was known to have the dimensions of a gorilla, the strength of a tiger, and the prudence of a meerkat," Kim tried to recall, "so the death of their boss came as a shock to his men, especially since the assassin appeared so small and fragile in comparison. When the hundreds of men at the scene tried to take revenge for their fallen boss, the then-delegates watched as Silverclaw spared every one of their lives. They say he just casually walked away from headquarters as he easily and elegantly blocked every bullet, dodged every swing, and countered every fist."

"We cannot afford to have this man as an enemy. I will have my men dispose of him." Rong suggested, hoping to ease Sesshomaru's tension.

"You will not." Sesshomaru hissed. Rong only frowned in disappointment; it was not his intention to upset the man further. If only Sesshomaru would reveal the entire story. Maybe then he could offer some real help.

"Who is this Silverclaw person, boss? Why you would defend him so? When he sounds so dangerous?" Jiang asked with worry washed over his face.

"We are… acquaintances." Sesshomaru explained, as laconically as he could. In reality, he didn't want to tell anyone about his relationship with Inuyasha. It just didn't feel right for some reason… "He was inside this building, just hours ago." It was a good thing he didn't publically announce all the details of Myouga's death. His men were simply told that he would deal with it himself, so they respected his wishes and have kept their noses away.

Nevertheless, Sesshomaru's minor revelation had succeeded in bringing out the complete surprise now distinctly plastered on the face of his men.

"Is he a threat?" Jiang continued his inquiry.

"No. Rather, I want him as an ally. It is the least I owe him." He sighed in frustration. Sesshomaru had known about Silverclaw, but it only recently became apparent to him just how little he actually knew. He had never bothered to learn about Inuyasha. There had not been enough time for him to do so considering the short time he'd known the man on a personal level. But that was no excuse for his negligence, nor did it stop him from feeling strangely upset at the fact that his men knew about the mysterious beauty more than he did. That is not to say he didn't appreciate Kim's valuable intelligence. The problem was he hadn't requested it, like he felt he should have. The news—which reminded Sesshomaru that Inuyasha was really just full of surprises—had not been planned.

"You have a debt to this man?" Rong asked, dumbfounded.

Aware of their paramount loyalty, Sesshomaru knew that he would need to convince his men that Inuyasha was not a threat. Then he felt as if he had been drenched in cold water as he realized:

He did not see Inuyasha as a threat, but could he say the same for every other organization that knows of his existence? Silverclaw was not like most men, whose ignorance guaranteed their safety. Forgetting—or perhaps just selfishly ignoring—the assassin's true martial prowess and undying will, Sesshomaru commanded of his men:

"Yes. Therefore I wish him no harm. As such, should any of you ever come across him, I expect you to protect him as you would me."

"But that's impossible, boss! He's a mere assassin when you are—" Koh began. Like him, the men around the table had trouble taking in their boss's words. To them, no one was as important as their boss. But Sesshomaru understood this. He himself did not truly understand his infatuation for Inuyasha, nor could he determine whether he welcomed such peculiar, unanticipated emotions. He was, however, certain of one thing. For Inuyasha, and only him, Sesshomaru would replace his dominant rationality and logic with intuition and conscience. And there was only one way to make his men understand this.

"He is a man that I, Sesshomaru, will protect." Sesshomaru cut Koh off with a stern look. "Do you understand?" He persistently pushed.

To this, his men could only furrow their brows in confusion and great interest. Who was this Silverclaw? They were more intrigued in his relationship with their boss than anything. For they understood their superior's words—Silverclaw had equal or possibly higher status than them; similar to them, the mysterious assassin had been taken in by Sesshomaru and placed under his protection. The mens' expectations of Silverclaw only grew for they trusted their boss's decisions with the utmost confidence.

"As you wish, Sesshomaru." Rong pledged while the others nodded in agreement.

"Kim, please do continue." Jiang urged, speaking the words that everyone in the room wanted to say.

"Yes, sir," Kim replied, searching his brain for every piece of information pertaining to the assassin. "As I had indicated earlier, no one but the kingpin died that night. After the incident, Silverclaw was recorded to have popped up on the mafia's radar many times—as if he did not fear them. Everyone was out to kill him at that point—there was even a huge bounty on his head, until a very shocking discovery."

Sesshomaru arched an eyebrow.

"The kingpin's right hand man came forth to reveal that their late boss was not who they thought he was: a cheater and a liar. He had been using the organization's money for his own voracious desires and had murdered many of his own followers for defying him, while acting a hero as he exacted revenge for them by placing the blame on his other men. It was also confessed that the kingpin had agreed to hand over some of his top delegates to the police in exchange for money. Their boss had greatly reduced the organization's funds and in order to keep his position and secrets hidden, he had to make up for the money.

"Before his execution, his right hand man gave the delegates the kingpin's contact within the police, who confirmed the truth. It seems the contact was actually under Silverclaw's instructions, for he owed the assassin a favour. The entire mafia—even those who had hated each other for years—came together to search for their liberator, determined to thank and repay him. His bounty was even increased, with the renewed intention of finding him instead of killing him. By that time, however, Silverclaw had completely disappeared.

"Not even those who excelled in gathering intelligence could find information on him. Therefore, the enigmatic Silverclaw could only go down in Korean mafia history, as someone of remarkable modesty, purity, strength, integrity, and beauty. His single act had even managed to unite and strengthen the geondal." Kim took a moment to breathe while the party silently took everything in. When all eyes were back on him, he concluded his report:

"With the absence of a leader, it was said that anyone who could manage to get a hold of Silverclaw would rule the country as the new kingpin, with the full support of the delegates."

"Such a man was within our reach and we did not extend our hand?" Rong asked, looking over to Sesshomaru. His boss was staring, in deep thought, at a spot on the table with a mixed expression of pride, amazement, and curiosity all at once.

"And the current kingpin wishes to court this Silverclaw?" Jiang recapped when he received only silence. No one noticed Sesshomaru's flinch, but Jiang and Rong did notice that his expression now had the slightest hints of worry and anger mingled in.

"I won't allow it." All eyes were now on their boss. "He belongs to me." Oh, let me rephrase that: all arched eyes were now on their boss.

"Silverclaw is still in Japan, I will find him before the Kingpin does." Sesshomaru decided. His head was clearer now. "Do not worry. I will inform you should I need anything." He felt his delegates shoulders finally relax.

"Meanwhile, I want you all to make an effort to find out anything you can about Silverclaw. Kim's report suggests the high probability of a history within several different countries. He may have been in yours without your knowing." Sesshomaru couldn't stop himself—he was so intrigued. He wanted to know everything about Inuyasha. And he would need to make a better effort to make it happen.

"Seeing as how most of you did not know of his existence until today," He continued, "I expect this task to be a rather difficult one. With that said, every little leak must be forwarded to me immediately… personally." The tall man stood up, indicating the end of the summit.

The men followed act and bowed deeply to their boss, as Rong spoke for every ambassador and agent in the room: "You need not worry, Sesshomaru. We will begin our investigation the moment we arrive back. Until next time, please do take care."

"Take care, sir!" A few others behind him agreed in harmony. They lifted their heads to make eye contact as they listened to Sesshomaru's concluding remarks.

"And all of you as well. Do excuse me for not being able to escort you out myself. There is something of utmost importance that I must do." Proper procedures specified that he be the first to leave the room, but Sesshomaru didn't want to waste any more time. "Will you permit my subordinate, Miroku, to take my place instead?" Sesshomaru nodded towards his attentive subordinate, who deftly responded:

"Please allow me the honour to escort you to your aides. They are ready to retrieve you downstairs." He bowed his head humbly to the delegates before motioning his hand toward the doors.

"Lead the way, Miroku." Jiang insisted, the first to follow Miroku, who was the first to leave the room.

As Rong, the last to leave along with Sesshomaru, closed the doors for his boss, he whispered, "May I look forward to seeing Silverclaw's hands in yours in the near future?" He grinned teasingly at his boss while he hid his hands in his sleeves in deference.

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow as he looked down at the Chinese man. "And if I were to consent?"

"Then I will be nothing less than supportive, my dear friend. You know how strongly I disapprove of the countless nymphos you've taken in. It is as clear as the night of the new moon how different your opinion of the assassin is, compared to them. I believe the man deserves respect, simply because I respect you. Therefore if all goes well, I, along with the rest of your men, will give it to him accordingly." Rong replied with a smile. He certainly liked what he heard about Silverclaw. If the man was as talented as rumoured, then he was happy for his self-proclaimed brother. Having no one capable beside Sesshomaru in Japan had always been a concern of Rong's, since the man needed him in China. Sure, there was Miroku, but he could not lead.

"Then you have my consent, Rong." Sesshomaru replied. Rong knew his boss well enough to recognize that when he took the effort to say someone's name, it meant he was impressed. "But I must find him first."

Rong hoped to meet Silverclaw himself one day.

When they reached the set of elevators, the group branched off into two. When theirs arrived, the delegates gave a final bow to their boss—to which Sesshomaru responded to with a small nod—before making their way to their vehicles parked outside the building entrance on the ground floor. Their aides would take them back safely to their individual hotels.

Sesshomaru entered his own elevator. He was also going down, but not so far as the ground floor. He needed to get to the security rooms and run the footage recorded by the cameras installed in the main parking lot. Hopefully, somewhere within, the silvery butterfly that had escaped his grasp could be found again.

-

The surroundings cars were beeping and leaving a trail of mini-clouds behind them when a lone figure came out of a slick, jet black vehicle with one way windows. As he closed the door behind him, two other men in dark, slack suits came up beside him, having parked their motorcycles some place nearby.

"Kouga, are you sure about this?" One of the two was heard asking the masculine man with long midnight-coloured hair tied back in a perfect ponytail by a long golden-braided rope with traditional red Chinese decorative knots. He moved his long fingers up to his handsome face to pull his expensive Gucci sunglasses away. His shiny bangs did a curtailed dance across his clear temple as he did so.

"Of course, Hakkaku. I can't wait to see how he'll react when he sees me again." He laughed as he slid the shades into his charcoal Eisenhower jacket pocket and deeply inhaled the full flavour of downtown Tokyo.

"But we've been searching Japan for three days and there's still no sign of him!" The third man cried, flustered by the lack of results of a certain something.

"No… You've been searching for three days. I," he emphasized through his voice, "am just starting. Now let's go, Ginta. We'll go grab a bite to eat first." Kouga smirked at his aides. The vicious determination in their boss's eyes told Hakkaku and Ginta that it was no use convincing him anymore. They had been all up for the search for Silverclaw, knowing how favorable his presence would be in Korea, until Kouga revealed that the assassin was actually a man the minute they arrived in Japan.

Kouga stuffed his left hand in his jeans while he walked down the sidewalk. His two escorts caught up with him in a matter of seconds.

"But it's been years, how do you know he hasn't changed?" Ginta questioned.

"Yeah, what if he changed his appearance? Or worse, he's lost all his skills? And there's also the possibility that he's dea—" Hakkaku continued his partner's train of thought, before he was abruptly interrupted.

"One, you guys don't know shit, don't know how motherfucking gorgeous he is. That ain't something one can change easily. Two, there's no way he could lose his skills. I've seen what he can do and it's not something you just forget. And three, that's impossible, so don't even mention it." Kouga warned sharply.

"Well, I hope we made the right choice coming here. We can't have what happened in Korea happen here, too." Hakkaku remembered back to a year ago when Kouga began his search for his 'wife'. He had been rising in fame and his reputation was increasing in Korea. But all of the sudden, his boss started acting strange. It turned out he had spotted someone whose face was very similar to Silverclaw's, forcing Kouga to remember their history together. He really believed the person was Silverclaw and pursued the imposter tirelessly. Kouga had already lost a fortune trying to court the sly, promiscuous fake before he realized he had made a mistake. And how had he figured out the truth?

A dream. A dream full of nostalgia.

The first time he had met the assassin was about a decade back, just when he was about to enter college. Of course, he never did end up choosing the academic path, because his father had been killed around that time. He had insouciantly met Silverclaw in a pet shop a month earlier when he had wanted to buy a Husky, while the other man was in the process of purchasing a Spitz.

They quickly became friends with the help of their dogs. Kouga was thankful to his dog because Silverclaw was so mesmerizing that he would have really regretted it if they hadn't hit it off so easily. He especially loved the black tattoo that outlined a Ulysses Butterfly behind the man's right ear. When the devastating news of his father reached him, Kouga took the next immediate train ride back home. Sil or Silver, which was what he ended up calling the assassin, ended up going with him to the funeral. His presence helped Kouga maintain a calm façade in front of his relatives. But still, Kouga couldn't help feeling miserable and angry. He had always told his father to quit working with the mafia. It only happened once, but he did cry; and like a total baby, too. It was then that Silver said his last words to Kouga:

"Don't cry anymore, Kouga. Your old man wouldn't want to see you like this." Kouga had just clung tightly to his friend's clothes and sobbed into his chest, occasionally muttering 'fuck the bastard who killed him'. Sighing, Silver patted his back gently.

"Alright, Kouga, listen carefully. How's about we make a deal? I'll avenge your father if you make sure this kinda shit doesn't happen to anyone else ever again."

"What do you mean?" Kouga backed away slowly, trying to regain his composure. He didn't think he heard right. He figured he was probably freaking Silver out—I mean, he usually gave off the persona of a strong man, so it probably surprised his friend when he appeared to him like this.

"Man up, Kouga. I'm asking you if you got what it takes." Silver replied with a stern face. Kouga, in a state of incoherence, could only agree to his friend's demands. During the next few days he stayed at his family household, he noticed Silver disappearing a lot. One time, when he had went out to buy more incense, he saw his friend coming out of a police station. When Silver told him nothing was wrong, Kouga foolishly believed him. Soon the two were on the train again, on their way back home. What Kouga didn't expect was his friend disappearing on him when he, having been under great stress and fatigue, took a long nap. He assumed Silver had gotten off on an earlier stop for his own business. After all, they have been away from home for almost a week. It wouldn't be strange if he had something urgent to do because of his sudden absence.

When Kouga had arrived back home, the first thing he did was fall onto his bed and enter REM sleep. The long nap had not been enough to neutralize a whole week's worth of headaches. He didn't even bother reading the letters in his mailbox, but he deeply regretted not doing this the next morning. Among the load, there was an envelope from Silver. Inside was a two thousand grand check and a short letter:

'_Hey Crybaby,_

_You better not be drunk when you're reading this._

_Can you look after Kiwi for me? I left him in the pet shop where I bought him—the place where we first met. Hippo likes Kiwi, so I won't worry. Just make sure they don't hump each other 24/7. Seriously._

_I need to leave now. I've taken care of your family's problems._

_Just remember your part of the deal. Don't fuck up, ok?_

_Silver'_

That was the last time Kouga ever heard from the man. Immediately after he finished reading the letter, he got a call from his mother who told him between tearful laughs of joy that everything was going to be okay. The true murderer of his father had been revealed and killed by an assassin, as reported by the anchorman in the news channel. His family's debt that accumulated after his father died had been repaid. His mother found this out when she had went to the bank earlier that day. She also discovered a whooping five million in her account, which she ended up using to save and expand the dying family business. When she questioned the staff there, she was only given a card with a picture of a butterfly on it.

And that same Ulysses Butterfly couldn't be found behind the fraud's right ear. Kouga had been so excited seeing Silver again that he had forgotten about the tattoo. Of course, there were signs—like how their memories didn't match—but Kouga didn't want to doubt the man he fell in love with. Despite discovering Silver's true identity when he moved back to the family household and took over the business for her mother, Kouga couldn't deny that he had fallen in love at first sight with the famous assassin—he had just been in denial.

He was sure the dream was a sign telling him he needed to find the real Silverclaw. And here he was, convinced that Silverclaw was in Japan.

As the three men entered the somewhat crowded café, the scents of cinnamon, confectionaries, tea and a fresh batch of coffee engulfed their noses. A soft relaxing tune was also being played. They sat themselves on a large round table near the door as Kouga instructed Ginta what to buy. When his subordinate left for the counter, he and Hakkaku continued their conversation.

"Don't worry, it won't happen again. I know what to look for." Kouga reassured his companion. He promised to himself and to his love that he wouldn't make the same mistake again. It would only insult the real Silver, and that was something he could not tolerate.

"That'll only work if you actually find the person, boss." Hakkaku sighed. Was this really going to work?

"I will. No doubt about it."

"Remember we're on a schedu—ah!" Ginta tried to say when all of the sudden, he felt a push on his back, causing him to lose balance. The contents he dropped would have ruined Kouga's clothes if someone hadn't caught them in time.

"Whoa! Careful kid," the man smirked at Ginta as he lay in a most awkward position on the floor, "You might want to get up before someone tramples you over. Here." He placed the coffee and sandwiches on the table in front of Kouga as the Kingpin glared at Ginta for his clumsy and totally avoidable mistake.

But when Kouga looked up at the stranger to thank him and apologize for the trouble, he found himself holding his breathe. There, right in front of him, stood another Silverclaw. The splitting image, in a sexy loose, black outfit. In the café. With him.

Shit.

'Fuck, you better not be playing with me.' Kouga screamed in his head when he finally managed to exhale harshly. It was very unlikely, but he had come to the country promising to take every possible chance. He had to find out if the man—who now had turned his back to him and was walking towards the counter to place his order—was who he had been looking for. He could only hope it was, because his heart had never thumped this hard before. Not even with the imposter. If the back of the man he was staring at with the most intense eyes right now was not Silverclaw, he'd definitely be ridden with guilt. Kicking his own ass wasn't exactly something he enjoyed doing.

Kouga told his two aides to stay put as he walked away and arrived at the counter to the right of the man.

"Sorry for earlier, can I get you a cup of coffee?" Kouga asked, completely masking the shakiness and anxiety in his voice as he took out his wallet.

"Er, sure? You don't need to though. I just thought it'd be pretty sad if your nice clothes were ruined." The man laughed and Kouga's heart sang at the top of its lungs and reached for the heavens. Damn, this guy is way too similar to Silverclaw. But Kouga held himself back for there were still some suspicious details:

He had bandages around his chest and Kouga could see the very inconspicuous blood stains at the corners. Silver would never let that happen to him. His hair was very similar, but longer than Kouga remembered. His feet were also a lot bigger than Silver's—and shoe sizes don't change all that much over the years.

"No, I want to, so please let me buy you a cup."

"Alright, then a French Vanilla. I prefer not to drink coffee."

Just like the Silver he knew, who loved the scent of French vanilla more than anything. If it was a warm drink, it had to be French vanilla… Could it be?

While the two waited for their order, Kouga decided to take the initiative. He had to find out whether the handsome man in from of him was really who he had been searching for.

"Hey, there's something in your hair. Can I take it out for you?" Kouga asked as casually as he could.

"Shit, really?" He cursed, as he looked away and muttered under his breath, "Did that bastard put something in my hair?"

Desperate to know whether he would be hunted down later or not, he replied to Kouga as he positioned himself, "Please do."

Kouga could feel the goosebumps on his skin as he reached for the man's right ear. He quickly brushed the hair aside and pulled his ear forward. Detecting Kouga's deceit, the man suddenly covered his right ear as he pulled away and stared back at him with his stunning golden orbs.

"What are you doing?" He demanded. But Kouga couldn't answer right now.

Within the split second the hidden spot was exposed, Kouga had clearly seen what he had been looking for. There was no mistaking it. The man had a small but skillfully drawn Ulyssus Butterfly tattooed behind his baby soft right ear.

"Silverclaw…" A mere whisper.

Inuyasha panicked and backed away. 'Fuck, how did he find me this fast?' He was about to bolt when he was pulled roughly into a bear bug.

"Silver, it's me. Oh god, it's really you…"

"What the fuck are you talking about, let me go!" Inuyasha hissed. The stress along with the tight hug was putting more pressure on his back—the only area that still hadn't completely healed. Did Sesshomaru tell this guy about that, too? Shit!

Noticing the amount of unwanted attention they were attracting, Kouga murmured ever so softly, "Sil, calm down, please." Inuyasha froze at the familiar name and his eyes widened. No fucking way.

"K-Kouga?"

Okay, that proved it. This was definitely the Silver of his past. The Korean smiled and buried his face in Inuyasha's hair as he took in his first love's memorable scent.

"Hey, answer me!" Inuyasha gently pushed the man away, to get a better look at him.

"Yeah, Sil, it's me. Kiwi misses you."

"Holy shit, it's really you." Inuyasha covered his mouth as golden met onyx. "What the hell are you doing here, Kouga? Damn… I…" He furrowed his brows as he tried his best to find his voice again. But Inuyasha really had no idea what to say.

So he just stupidly followed Kouga's pace.

"H-How's Hippo?" He managed to breathe out.

Kouga threw his head back as he laughed loudly with his right hand covering his temple. His left hand did not leave Inuyasha's shoulders. He hadn't yet realized that he was subconsciously telling himself not to let this man go. Not ever again.

Then Kouga did the one thing he had been dying to do the very moment he laid eyes on Inuyasha:

He bent and passionately kissed his supple lips hungrily, roughly, devouring every corner of Inuyasha's cute mouth.

In reality, this chapter only contained a part of Silverclaw's past, haha.  
Such a long chapter and I still couldn't include everything. They will have to be revealed slowly throughout the story.

Anyways, please review if you enjoyed the new chapter! They inspire me to continue writing!  
Thank you for all the support so far!

See you next time!


	6. Confession

Read disclaimer first please! Thanks!

Chapter Six: Confession

Inuyasha felt his tongue being sucked. Hard. When he felt pressure on his taste buds, he retreated downwards and tried to pull his head away. But no matter where he escaped and hid, the intruder followed. The fingers of a strong hand were gently tugging at his silky hair while attempting to close the distance between the pair of lips even more. If his head didn't work, then he would try his body. But a muscular arm had wrapped itself around his spine. If he tried to struggle, the wounds on his back would definitely reopen.

Their tongues played a rapid but zealous game of hide and seek before Inuyasha's adrenaline kicked in when he began feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen. Hard unforgiving military boots swiftly contacted Kouga's unguarded feet. He should have worn something thicker than dress shoes that day.

"Ow, shit!" Kouga inhaled sharply in response to the sudden pain. He quickly reached one hand to squeeze his injury while his other still held onto the man he just impulsively orally violated. Inuyasha could finally take a breather, but he wasn't going to let his old buddy get away with his crime. Because of him, he had to wipe away the dirty drool lines running down from his mouth… while thirty plus strangers starred.

"You asshole, what was that for?" Inuyasha screamed at Kouga before slapping his possessive arm away and successfully distanced their bodies. He glared menacingly at the other customers with a face that conveyed a 'fuck off' loud and clear. While the curious or shocked swiftly looked away, the remaining grinned widely back at him. One man even gave him a wink, which Inuyasha responded with a disgusted face before giving him the finger. He would gone over to beat the crap out of the shithead when he just smiled mischievously back if Kouga hadn't forced his attention back to him.

"That was obviously a kiss, Sil." Kouga said chuckled after significantly lessening the pain in his foot.

"I don't need any more kisses!" Inuyasha yelled, his face practically red with anger as he suddenly remembered Sesshomaru's rough kiss a couple of days back. In fact, he was so upset that he didn't notice Kouga's eyes turning to slits. Suddenly the aura got tense.

"Someone else kissed you? Wh—" Kouga forgot that he was with his two attendants. But who could blame him when he had just found the love of his life?

"Boss, what happened?" Hakkaku cried as he and Ginta ran towards him. They were practically sweating a river of worry.

"I thought I told you guys to stay put." Kouga questioned with his authoritative voice.

"But we thought you were in trouble." Ginta reasoned. The two totally freaked out when the heard the loud noises coming from their boss's direction and decided to go over when they realized people were all looking his way.

"Oh, he is. No shit about that." Inuyasha abruptly interrupted their conversation. He glared daggers at Kouga before pushing past him and marching hastily towards the exit. Kouga completely ignored his men's inquiries to run after Inuyasha. As he left the café, he heard the faint sounds of a traditional bell that sang fervently in tune with his heartbeat.

"Sil, wait!" He extended his arms to grasp his friend's wrist so that they could face each other again.

"I-I was just too happy. We haven't seen each other in so many years…"

Inuyasha only responded by maneuvering his hand onto Kouga's wrist and twisting it harshly. The Korean immediately sank to the floor wincing. If you saw them from across the street, you could swear Kouga was proposing to Inuyasha.

"Don't give me that shit, Kouga. You don't just suddenly kiss people when you're happy! Hugs and props, I get, but you don't start sucking tongues like they're a lollipop, you douche!" Inuyasha fumed.

"Okay, okay! Uncle!" Kouga cried. In reality, it didn't hurt that much. He knew Silver would never seriously harm him. It was just a warning, but Kouga couldn't help surfacing the most childish grin his lips could produce. His friend was just too cute for words. Even after all these words, Silverclaw hadn't changed. Not one bit!

"That's not what I want to hear, kid." Inuyasha used his other hand to tap Kouga across the head.

"I'm sorry, Silver. Forgive me?" Kouga played along. It would have been a perfect moment if only his two aides hadn't come running from behind and ruining it.

"Get your hands off our boss!" Hakkaku yelled with his teeth bared, his hands reaching for something inside his suit.

"Yeah! Hands off!" Ginta pointed accusingly at Inuyasha. "Don't think you'll get away with touching our boss just 'cause you've got a pretty face!" It would have been a lot more convincing if he wasn't running so comically with his tail between his legs. And the noticeable filth on his white shirt was honestly doing his threatening no justice.

Inuyasha let his grip on Kouga go and let a snicker free. But Kouga was less amused. He was immediately up and had his arm out shielding Inuyasha.

"What do you think you're doing, Hakkaku!" He roared. "This man standing in front of you is Silverclaw, your future authority!"

His men instantly stopped in their tracks. If they had worn white instead of black that day, no one would doubt you if you suggested there were two amusing statues situated in the sidewalk. Inuyasha could already imagine neighbourhood pigeons mistaking their shoulders as a convenient toilet. He would have offered extra commentaries if Kouga's last comment hadn't perked his interest.

"Future authority? What does that mean?" Inuyasha returned Kouga's arm back to its owner's side as he looked up at him. The mafia boss was around two inches taller than him, which wasn't exactly something to celebrate. Their positions had switched since the last time they saw each other and Inuyasha's one additional year of life experience over his friend was no longer as discernible as it had been seven years ago.

Before Kouga could explain, Inuyasha had to dismiss Hakkaku and Ginta's quivering apologies. A raised palm did the job shutting them up. As they obediently moved away to stand on guard, Kouga felt his heart swell up with pride. His love was just as impressive as ever.

"All I can say is I didn't fuck up my end of our deal." Teeth exposed, Kouga lifted his chin slightly like a cute kid that had just aced his very hard math test.

"Wanna expand on that?" Inuyasha tilted his head curiously as he shifted his weight onto his left leg while resting his hands on his hips. He rubbed them slowly, pleased that they were finally healed but for a split second, Sesshomaru had invaded his head again. He was glad Kouga was around to stop that undesirable train of thought.

"They call me Kingpin back at home. Any guesses?"

"Are you shitting me?" Inuyasha coolly raised an intimidating fist.

"Hell no." He swore as he smiled broadly, his hands already up in defense. Eyelids rose at him in return.

"Wow, I didn't think you had it in you." Inuyasha remained silent for a short moment before he queried earnestly, "Run into any trouble?"

"Ouch, that one hurt." Kouga sulked, clutching his chest as if he had just been shot. Oh Lord… Dramatic much? But Inuyasha knew Kouga's outgoing attitude was exactly why he got along this man. It was nice to have someone like that around—especially if you've been around a bunch of fucked up sickos most of your life. Kouga, on the other hand, hadn't lost his touch or changed on the inside, much to Inuyasha's relief. He had been concerned about whether or not his selfish request would ruin his friend. He hadn't known the man for very long, but he had a hunch that Kouga was capable. The Korean's last comment had resolved whatever amount of worry he had hidden away.

"Sorry," Inuyasha offered a smile, "But I still don't see how that gives me any authority."

"I'll fill you in if you let me treat you to lunch." He suggested, pointing a finger to his car. He had millions of questions for Silver—like who the fuck was the lucky bastard that kissed him before he did—but first he would need time to tell his own story. He hoped his achievements would impress his love, if only a little, and perhaps convince him to take Kouga's hand.

He remembered Sil had always had a healthy appetite and damn it all, Kouga was going to use that to his advantage. He was a straight-forward kind of guy and didn't plan to hide his true intentions from the drop-dead gorgeous person in front of him. But that didn't mean he would turn away the chance to pamper the man enough to get him into the right mood to accept his confession. It was a tad bit cowardly, he had to admit, but when it came to wooing Silverclaw, Kouga didn't blame himself. He wanted the man and he was going to get him, no matter what he had to do.

But when Inuyasha didn't answer, Kouga frowned.

"Are you going to refuse me a catch-up date?" He didn't want let go. Not now. Not ever. He panicked as his guts screamed at him to hold on to the object of his desires. Would he have to wait another 7 years to see Silverclaw again? No, not again.

"I can't."

"Don't do this to me again, Silver. You can't." Kouga pleaded.

With a creased temple, Inuyasha explained, "That's not it. I ran into some major shit a while back. It's been a killer week and now I'm on the run."

"Then let me protect you. I won't le—"

"I don't need your protection." He cut Kouga off curtly.

"Then why are you running away?"

"I have my reasons!" Inuyasha growled. Not only was Kouga's inferiority to Sesshomaru crystal clear, but Inuyasha refused to trouble his friend. He didn't want to be protected, because he wasn't weak and he'd be damned if he allowed Kouga to think otherwise.

"Silver, you asked me what I was doing in Japan. I came to search for you. I want to take you back to Korea, do you understand?" Kouga strained.

"Why would you want that? That'd risk you your position, stupid." It took a while for Kouga to decipher these words. He would have laughed if the situation wasn't so serious.

Kouga grabbed Inuyasha's shoulders and whispered in his most persuasive tone, "Oh god, no. You have any idea how much they want you. Some of them would even die to meet you! You need to know how big of an impression you left behind. Come on, you gotta give me a chance to explain. We can just talk in the car if you want."

Inuyasha stared into the darkness of Kouga's eyes and sighed hoarsely. It was obvious how much his friend wanted to keep him there. He assumed this business was really important to him, so even though Inuyasha had a strange feeling in his stomach telling him to jet right that second, he agreed to stay. On the condition that they would only talk in the car and that he would be allowed to leave soon. Kouga agreed only after Inuyasha reassured him he would keep in contact. Damn the man for knowing how he would never break his promises once they're made.

As the two jay walked diagonally across the street to the black vehicle, Inuyasha prayed Kouga wouldn't ask too many questions about his past life, as he was pretty sure the man was aware of his dangerous skills by now. He hadn't expected to see Kouga ever again in his life, but since it had happened, Inuyasha would just have to deal. Although the timing couldn't have been worse.

As they reached the car, Kouga opened its door for him. Inuyasha felt a little awkward, envisioning Kouga as a chauffeur. He didn't appreciate the thought of anyone serving him, but Kouga standing as straight as bamboo stalk with a full tux on would definitely be a hilarious sight to see. All giggles aside, Inuyasha knew that Kouga was just taking precautions so that he wouldn't suddenly change his mind and leave. A little annoying, yes, but he understood his friend's actions. So Inuyasha decided to entertain him and got into the car first.

Kouga was standing outside the open door, with his back to Inuyasha as he instructed his two aides. One was to go back to the café to bring them some food as they still hadn't eaten, and the other was told to bring their motorcycles and then stand guard outside the care.

But before Kouga could finish and slip into the car beside him, Inuyasha felt a strong on his right arm, effectively disrupting his balance on the seat. A cold breeze flew into the car, attempting to dry out his eyes as Inuyasha met with intense gold that flared absolute hunger and dominance. The assassin could only shiver as if a high fever was among the consequences of the sudden spell. One second, Sesshomaru was tightening his rough grip around his bicep while pouring his very soul into Inuyasha with mere eye contact, and in the next, he was being carried on the Yakuza's shoulders only to be shoved into a different car.

It had happened way too fast. The extreme momentum and ferocity denied Inuyasha any small amount his voice. Only when he caught Kouga's earsplitting cries behind him, did he finally snap out of his daze to find himself held securely in between his captor's long, firm thighs. Pulsating heat radiated into him from both sides and back. Inuyasha looked down at the rippling muscles around his chest. Then up in front at the silent driver behind the wheel of the car. Then to the window to his left that displayed a constant, dizzying blur of the outside world.

Then pure adrenaline rushed in, shifting Inuyasha into flight or fight mode. But when tried to push against the detaining force, one half strengthened while the other half reached under his thigh and pulled his legs out. It was impossible not to lean back down against the strong chest behind him and he whimpered as the familiar pain shot up from his back. There was no way he could move now.

"Stay put, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru's imperial voice commanded unnecessarily, breaking the deafening silence.

Inuyasha felt his heart in his throat as he uttered dryly, "W-What's going on?" The moisture was completely gone from his mouth. Never once, in his entire life, had Inuyasha's body ever experienced such rough, overpowering, but strangely delicate treatment. So how the hell was he supposed to react to this?

"Why did you leave without my permission?" His captor growled as the tip of his head reached down to placidly bump Inuyasha's head slightly to the side as he began feasting on his neckline.

"Ah!" Inuyasha hissed as his tender skin was brusquely assaulted.

"Answer me."

"I d-don't need your permi—" Sesshomaru bit down warningly, hard enough to leave red but not hard enough to penetrate muscle. When his ears picked up a moan of pain, he growled low and huskily, letting Inuyasha sense his yearning as it vibrated throughout his small frame.

"I-I'm sorry! Damn you!" Another intimidating nibble. Until finally, Inuyasha muttered reluctantly between clenched teeth, "I take back the last part."

Immediately Sesshomaru stopped his attack and lifted himself to promptly grasp a nearby water bottle. His arms remained around Inuyasha as his long, slender fingers tore off the cap. He then softly pressed the mouth of the container against Inuyasha's lips and slanted it to some degree, forcing the assassin to take in the revitalizing liquid or risk dirtying himself.

He ended up getting his clothes wet anyways, as the driver turned the car abruptly to the side. Thunderous honking and beeping, accompanied by calls of his nickname was heard from somewhere behind him. His friend was hot on their trails.

"Kouga… " Inuyasha whispered, as he strained desperately to find his friend's reassuring face.

"Lose him. Now!" Sesshomaru roared at his driver.

"No!" The man in his lap cried in distress as his nails clawed into Sesshomaru's thighs.

"Stop, Inuyasha. I won't harm you, but I must take you back." Sesshomaru cooed. He didn't want to repeat the same mistake he had before. He swore he would ingrain his real intentions into Inuyasha's brain this time, or else the heavens could rain thunder upon his body.

"What do you want from me? You've had enough fun, haven't you?" Inuyasha cried as he trembled wildly in his arms. "Are you angry that I stole the car? That I flipped you off? That I broke your cameras?" He was beginning to sprout nonsense now. Sesshomaru didn't like where this was going and under such foreign anxiety, he made a small mistake:

"I'm sorry, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru began cursing himself upon realizing his blunder. Until he sensed his captive—for the first time ever under his care—relax a great deal. Then it dawned to him that his mistake may not have been one after all, and it could be possibly be the key to fixing their relationship. He experimented with his new discovery:

"I'm sorry. Forgive me." Sesshomaru nuzzled his nose in Inuyasha's honeyed hair. He breathed in the familiar citrusy scent and was stunned to fathom the true degree of agitation he had been in since Inuyasha escaped from headquarters.

"You jerk." Inuyasha hesitated. "Are you serious?"

"Very." Sesshomaru realized.

"Then get the hell away from me." Sesshomaru flinched and only squeezed Inuyasha tighter as he replied stubborningly,

"No."

"You liar! Fuck, I knew I shouldn't have expected anything from you!" Again, he began stuggling.

"I simply do not want you to leave me again!" Sesshomaru argued back. Why was this man being so difficult? "You cannot be with that undeserving ruffian!"

"Speak for yourself, asshole! Kouga's my friend!" Damn it all. Speaking in his position was quickly becoming a very draining task. "…I won't run away. So let me go, Sesshomaru." He sighed out. Inuyasha didn't why it was, but only Sesshomaru had the talent to make him this tired, to make him submit, to scare him, to make his fucking world a pain in the ass—sometimes literally.

"If you run away, I will chase you to even the deepest levels of hell if it means I can bring you back." Sesshomaru reminded Inuyasha before aversely releasing his limbs.

"Yeah, I think I got that." Inuyasha chided, finally getting the opportunity to enjoy glaring at his captor. Then he turned his attention back to the window. Kouga and his two friends were nowhere in sight. Then he realized that he had left the Jaguar behind with all his important items in it. "Oh shit." He gasped out as he pressed his warm hands against the glass.

"What is it?"

"My stuff. In the Jaguar."

"My Jaguar." Inuyasha turned his head to face the taller man.

"It was yours?" He grinned, at the possibility of another win over Sesshomaru.

"I've already instructed my men to retrieve it." The yakuza comforted, "With your possessions intact."

"Seriously? Thanks!"

Oh dear god, this man…

Sesshomaru felt his groin fighting to spring to life. But who the hell could blame him? Inuyasha was flashing his famous cheeky smile, now with added special effects as the light from the approaching sunset seeped through the dark windows of the car and landed perfectly on Inuyasha's childlike face at every angle. Not only that, but their earlier turbulent intimacy had successfully uncovered a large portion of Inuyasha's skin. Sesshomaru had his own clothes to thank for that. He was a great deal bigger than Inuyasha, therefore the outfit he had 'burrowed' from him fit his frame rather loosely, making it much too easy to peel off.

Sesshomaru had been debating whether he should take the man right there and then, until he interrupted him.

"You're not going to hurt Kouga, are you?" Sometimes, Sesshomaru thought, Inuyasha needed to just keep his mouth shut.

"I promise I will if you ever mention his name in front of me ever again."

"What? No way!"

"Try me."

"What did he ever do to—"

"He touched you." He answered casually. So casually that Inuyasha was taken aback. Then his eyes widened as today's events flashed by his head.

"You saw our kiss?" Sesshomaru nearly fell off his seat, which in itself told Inuyasha he had just fucked up. Big time.

"YOUR WHAT?" Uh oh.

"Uh… It's a nice day out, isn't it?" Oh, motherfuckering shit.

"Inuyasha…" Sesshomaru growled deep and low from the back of his throat. He was going to kill the scoundrel a thousand times over!

"I-I was the one that kissed him!" Inuyasha blurted out. Well, that really was the only way to save his friend's ass. Kouga was so going to owe him for this. "Damn it, who cares anyway? What the hell does it have to do with anything?"

"I care, you dimwit! You are mine." Sesshomaru rebuked blatantly. If Inuyasha wasn't red with embarrassment at his point, it was shock. And if it wasn't shock, then it was definitely anger.

"Oh, really? Since when did that happen, dipshit? Huh?" He roughly grabbed Sesshomaru's collar and glared daggers at him, daring the bastard to say it again.

Sesshomaru's answer? He used their proximity to his advantage again as he pulled Inuyasha in for a hot, passionate kiss that left behind spent and swelling lips. Sometime during that long purification, Sesshomaru had managed to pin the surprised Inuyasha under him.

As he starred down at Inuyasha with amber eyes clouded with burning lust, he stated huskily, "Since now. Since I learned your name. Since the very first moment you appeared in my life." Recalling that they were not alone, Sesshomaru leaned close and whispered low and warm through an evident smirk into his babe's ear, "I love you."

As I thought, I just couldn't bear to leave it without redeeming Sesshomaru. Grr, I love him too much to make him suffer! But poor Kouga... (laugh)

Fuck, I hope I didn't make any mistakes in this chapter. Or at least not a lot.

Because I didn't edit it; just write it in one get-go. (sighhhh)

Anyway, please reviewwwwwww! I truly appreciate your time and support!

See you next time!


	7. Ceasefire

Disclaimer first, reading next, please.

Chapter Seven: Ceasefire

Sure, he had more experience with nutcases than the average Joe, but this Sesshomaru fucker definitely topped the cake. He accuses Inuyasha for something he didn't do (and inflicted some major physical damage because of it), humiliates him in the worst way possible, holds him captive against his will, thinks simply knowing someone's name means a solid relationship, threatened to kill his friend if he didn't bend his will, and seemed to think that a mere week of distasteful interactions could equal love. Yup, you couldn't get more psychotic than that.

You see, the thing that makes Sesshomaru so difficult to deal with is his constant change in temperature. First he's artic cold, then he suddenly switches to warm, and now he's in the process of reaching boiling point. Inuyasha's could handle just plain cold—it was what he encountered for most of his life—or a continuous warm—like some of his temporary employers who he has since lost contact with for explicable reasons—or even scorching hot—like those creepy hosts he sent to the hospital when they tried to get him to join their stupid clubs. But when he met Sesshomaru who was all over the place, Inuyasha just didn't know how to respond without looking like a bumbling idiot. Gone completely was his habitual speedy countering using witty tactics often thought up on the spot, and in came a recurring state of fucking dumbfoundery to replace it. See? He was even making up new words just to describe how totally lame he felt around Sesshomaru. Inuyasha wondered if this was retribution for being an asshole in his previous life or something. Whatever. He didn't give a shit about the cause right now—he just needed to get of this current predicament and do it fast. Where was a shiny light bulb when you need one?

"You're insane!" Inuyasha yelled at the top of his lungs into Sesshomaru's ear in response to the sudden confession. It was spine-chilling scary to have someone whisper into your yours, but it did mean the opponent's ear was just as available for attack.

Sesshomaru immediately moved his ear away from the harsh vibrations coming from Inuyasha's famously contentious mouth. Oh yes. Inuyasha one, Sesshomaru, a big fat zero! The skilled ex-assassin took the opportunity to slide his elbow up to his chest and pushed his forearm as strong as he could against Sesshomaru's. He would have to ignore the numbing of his back for now. His very sanity depended on it.

"How dare you question my words." Sesshomaru snarled with the voice of a predatory beast. He rarely, if ever, experienced outright rejection or doubtful discord from anyone. Not even from his top subordinates. And here Inuyasha was, totally defying him again like the stubborn mule he was. Perhaps he would have been calmer if his words that were being unduly criticized weren't something Sesshomaru expected to wildly stir the heart of the criticizer. This notion was thanks to his numerous 'nymphos' he recalled Rong dubbing them. They were all very similar to each other, but the one thing Sesshomaru received from all of them, were those three words he had just repeated to Inuyasha. Then they would stare at him with failed endearing eyes that the educated Sesshomaru knew to associate with those of the most covetous and foul vultures, urging him to simply regurgitate the exclusive phrase that would confirm their victorious hunt.

Of course, Sesshomaru gave them no time of day after using their bodies as outlets for his sexual debauchery. He did, however, pick up on how favourable the three words were and gave them high status within his vocabulary. He figured it he could risk offering such precious, virgin words to the sole man that could pose a threat to his coherence and make Sesshomaru comprehend just how agonizing his own libido was. But Inuyasha certainly didn't seem to think so.

"Get off of me!" Inuyasha persevered, refusing to spoil his captor, even a little.

"No. Why are you bent on denying me?" Sesshomaru placed more of weight down on the small body. Of course not all of it, as he didn't want to hurt Inuyasha's back even more. He did care for the younger man's health, but the thought of the injuries being the obstacle to his sexual relief certainly did its part to make Sesshomaru more conscious of his strength.

Too bad that didn't stop Inuyasha.

"Because you have mental problems, man!"

"What makes you think that?" A cold, cunning hand slowly made its up Inuyasha's shirt, daring him to provide an acceptable reply to Sesshomaru's question.

"What other explanation would give you reason to think that falling in love with a MAN when you've known him FOR LESS THAN A FUCKING WEEK, was okay?" Inuyasha yelled at the obnoxious man looming over him. Sesshomaru tugged at and parted the bandages at his chest, effectively exposing his amply sensitive left nipple.

"My reason never fails to disappear the minute you're concerned. My insides are churning just from having you so close to me." He played with Inuyasha's now hard protrusion with his right hand as he leaned down to taste Inuyasha's jawline. "Do you feel me, Inuyasha?" He teased, disregarding the developing bruises on his chest thanks to Inuyasha's hopeless struggle.

"S-Stop! I'm not a woman, Sesshomaru!"

"I don't need one. I have you, and you're better than any woman." He thrusted his rock-hard bulge towards inuyasha's pelvis and let a small moan as he simultaneously twisted Inuyasha's abused nipple. Oh, god, he felt so good. And they weren't even naked. His warmth was not enough to fulfill Sesshomaru. His desires screamed for skin contact as Inuyasha continued to protest. The assassin was able to free his left leg and curled it to slam his heal against the small of Sesshomaru's back. But there was no pain. Only the sheer pleasure his attacks stimulated as it made more room for contact and friction between their manhoods. Sesshomaru could already feel his precum leaking into the fabric of his pants.

"I am not your whore!" Sesshomaru was taken aback by Inuyasha's harsh words and he quickly put a halt to his movements. Was he treating Inuyasha like a whore? Did he really think that way? Was that what Inuyasha was to him?

No. The very thought made Sesshomaru want to puke.

He lifted himself up and pulled Inuyasha's body along with his strong arms. Sesshomaru held tightly onto his waist as he starred into Inuyasha's offended, fearful eyes as he was seated on his lap again—only this time they were facing each other. Sesshomaru frowned at what he detected in those brilliant golden orbs. Why wasn't his dexterous seduction working? It had never failed him before.

"That's not the way I see you, Inuyasha."

"Your fatass dick ain't very convincing, fucker." Inuyasha's comment earned a small snicker from the driver, to which he gave a generous smirk. Sesshomaru would need to remember to kill the guy later. For a now, a cautionary growl would have to do.

"This is a normal reaction. Can't you tell how much I want you?"

"Can't you tell how stupid you sound right now?" Inuyasha fought.

"Don't push me." Sesshomaru eyes narrowed warningly at Inuyasha as his grip on his narrow waist tightened.

"Then let me go!"

"You promised not leave." Sesshomaru reminded him.

"That's was for Kouga's life. It didn't include sexual harassment, bastard." He pushed against Sesshomaru's shoulders and attempted to get shift to the side since the roof of the car prevented him from escaping upwards.

"Did you forget my promise to kill should you ever mention his name to me again?" Shit, this blackmailing asshole, Inuyasha thought when the monotonous ringtone of a cellphone reached his eardrums. Sesshomaru glanced towards his soon-to-dead driver, who had answered the phone. Then he presented the phone to his boss behind him as he continued to drive.

"It's for you, Boss." His extremely deep voice announced. Sesshomaru reached for the phone and placed the earpiece where it had to be.

"What?" The commander said monotonously.

"YOU BITCH! WHERE ARE YOU?" The loud bellowing that answered Sesshomaru gave relief to Inuyasha, whose sharp ears picked up the familiar voice right away. Thank god Kouga was safe.

"How did you get this number, you rogue?" Sesshomaru hissed in return.

"Heh. Who do you think supplies the parts for your cars, fucker?" Kouga was right. Although almost every vehicle was provided by Jiang to the organization, some of the parts needed to ensemble to cars were actually ordered from Korea by Kim. And if you were Kingpin, a plateless car meant nothing—it actually made it easier to track down the country it was in, the companies that made it, which organizations backed those manufacturers, and then so on until they got to the top dog, namely Sesshomaru. Then it was only a matter of searching their intelligence database for a number that could connect to him.

Sesshomaru had to admit, Kouga wasn't as stupid as he thought he was.

"Should I be impressed? Are you implying you can find us?" Sesshomaru mocked. Even if they knew names, they would need to spend more time for addresses.

"TELL ME WHERE YOU ARE, I'LL SHOW YOU EXACTLY WHAT I'M IMPLYING! And if you harm Silverclaw, so help me, I will make sure even your bones will rot in Hippo's stinking shit!" Inuyasha laughed so hard at his friend's comment but Sesshomaru only felt a new wave of jealously. He comically wiped away a tear with his palm before he struggled with his captor for the possession of the phone. Obviously, Inuyasha won.

"Hey Kouga." He chuckled into the phone. For now, he would stop struggling and sit his tight curvy bottom Sesshomaru's lap. While completely ignoring the bastard's presence of course.

"Sil? Is that you? Are you okay? Did he hurt you? Shit, why the fuck does the head of the Japanese mafia know you?" Okay, biggest surprise for Inuyasha. Ever. He didn't even know who Sesshomaru was, except for being a person of high authority and an incurable pervert. He didn't think he was dealing with the very… very, very top. That's just fucking great, Inuyasha sighed mentally. Now he knew for sure he couldn't get Kouga involved in this escapade.

"I'm fine, Kouga," he lied, "You don't have to worry about anything."

"You've always sucked at lying." It was true. He did fail at it. But he did it anyway, only hoping that the cellphone made his words a little bit more convincing.

"Just let me handle this, okay? Can I contact you later?" He persuaded. While Kouga reluctantly agreed, knowing how stubborn his friend could be, Sesshomaru immediately said no, as if Inuyasha had been addressing him. The two silver-coated men exchanged another short glare before Inuyasha went back to ignoring Sesshomaru to hang up the phone.

"Thanks Kouga. Go sightseeing or something, okay?" The second they concluded the conversation, Sesshomaru grabbed the phone and threw it out the window he had opened earlier while his babe was paying no attention to him.

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha asked, his hand still cupping an invisible cellphone.

"You're not meeting him." Sesshomaru stated nonchalantly. He noticed Kouga had used a phone with visible caller ID to call his phone, but now there was no way for his Inuyasha to contact the weasel.

"That's not for you to decide." Inuyasha tried to push himself away again, only to realize that he was now positioned closer to the taller man with a stronger hold. Ok, so maybe completely ignoring him hadn't exactly been the best idea of the century. Turning to the driver, he ordered with the voice of an assassin, "Stop the car, I'm getting out."

Sesshomaru didn't expect his underling to follow, but when he did, he let livid roar out. "He's going nowhere, move the car!"

"What is wrong with you?" Inuyasha yelled, the rage resurfacing in his voice and eyes.

The yakuza turned his head back to his captive, returning the same rage. "You." He spat out before swiftly pulling Inuyasha's pants down from his tailbone, revealing the smoothest swell of buttocks Sesshomaru had ever caressed.

"No, stop!"

He positioned Inuyasha's ass above his lengthening member and was about tear his zipper open to ram his fully frustrated and impatient cock into the boy's tight hole when Inuyasha stopped him.

"If you do this to me again, I swear I'll never forgive you!"

"Fuck, Inuyasha! Then tell me! What must I do to make you stay?" Sesshomaru buried himself in Inuyasha's chest, not wanting him to see his convoluted face. "Stop fucking with me already!"

Sesshomaru was trying so very desperately to hold back. Hold back from fucking Inuyasha so raw till the muscles of his delicious hole wither from the brutal abuse his cock threatened to give. Hold back from killing Inuyasha with a bullet to his perfectly toned breasts if only to stop him from driving him ridiculously crazy. Hold back from permanently crippling Inuyasha if it means he would stay with him and never go back to Kouga ever again.

And Inuyasha, for once, understood and sympathized with the Sesshomaru trembling with anger and need.

"You seriously fell for me?" When Inuyasha only received a low growl on his chest and two large hands cupping and squeezing his ass, he breathed out, "Fine, I'll stay. Shit." He pulled his hair from his face and looked down at Sesshomaru, who had finally lifted his head.

"But you're gonna have to stop pissing me the fuck off. I'm my own boss, understand?" Inuyasha conditioned, before offering a small, tried smile. "And I'll promise to listen to what you've gotta say if it's reasonable. Agreed?" He was just as weary of this extensive vexing game of cat and mouse as Sesshomaru. Since it has happened, Inuyasha would just have to deal. That was just the kind of guy he was—pretty much cruising every wave that managed to meet with his board. He just hoped he wouldn't crash head first into the biggest wave he's ever encountered and get through the surf alive… and mentally stable.

"Don't change your mind later." Sesshomaru warned.

"Unlike you, I keep my promises." Inuyasha reprimanded. "Now let me go. My back's killing me and your hands are doing a shitty job keeping my backside warm."

Sesshomaru rubbed him harder.

"That means I prefer my pants—"

"My pants."

"—your pants over your perverted, stingy bastard hands."

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru started as his babe sat down beside him on the car seat.

"What."

"Than—"

"Shut up. I'm regretting it already." Inuyasha groaned in annoyance as he wiped his sweat-adorned face with his hand when he noticed how Sesshomaru's heated organ had grown to an even more unbelievable size.

-

Contemplating whether I should edit and add to the previous chapter or not.

I did this chapter in one get-go too. The difference was the quantity of fatigue in my body and the volume coffee in my bloodstream, haha.

Well anyway~ Please review if you enjoyed the chapter (or rate). Any sort of encouragement makes me very happy! (Imagine a Pikachu on crack. Ok not really because I love Pokemon, but you get the idea.)

See you next time!


	8. Integration

While I was bored, I drew a sketch of Silverclaw.

This is how I imagine him to look like: i 5 6 . t i n y p i c . c o m / 2 l s 9 n y d . p n g (Remove the spaces)

Tell me if there are any scenes or characters in my story that you'd like to see me draw! I might take you up on the suggestion. Though they won't be anything complicated, just sketches like the one above.

This is my way of thanking everyone for supporting my story and me. (And for this calm-before-the-storm kind of chapter LOL)

I really appreciate your reviews and votes, guys!

Remember to read the disclaimer before continuing! 

**Chapter Eight**: Integration

"Don't freak out on me."

"What?"

"Say you won't get mad." Perfectly aligned teeth bit down instinctively on the full lips that hid them. All of the sudden, Inuyasha was thirsty.

"You're a strange one. Why would I be mad when you've agreed to stay?"

Inuyasha let his eyelids fall halfway and his jaw relax. Which meant you either do his bidding now or hand over your sorry ass. Even though they've only known for a mere week, Sesshomaru could already read between the fine lines. It wasn't that hard of a task, if you bothered to look attentively. For Inuyasha wore his heart, his very soul on his face. Sesshomaru had never met anyone who openly displayed such provocative vulnerability and yet, oozed out the undeniable strength and absolute resolve of an undefeated warrior. Perhaps that is why he found him the most enthralling man on the face of this planet.

"I won't get mad." The taller man chuckled, amused at how adorable Inuyasha was. He was a legendary assassin that hadn't graced the unworthy world with his presence for years, but in the next to Sesshomaru, he would act like cheeky brat. Sesshomaru hoped that meant he had a special place in the assassin's heart, because Inuyasha was everything Sesshomaru wanted in a man—in a partner.

At some point, the yakuza had wondered if the man was actually a new type of addictive on the market. You never know what they come up with, after all. It was a juvenile thought, but considering the unrelenting effects the beauty had on him, it seemed like a solution thought up by Einstein himself. 'How could a person covered in sweat and bloody bandages be so erotic?' It was beyond Sesshomaru.

"You're getting me Kouga's number later." Inuyasha demanded as the two walked up to the headquarters' heavily guarded glass doors. There were still lots of work to be done (no thanks to Inuyasha's sudden disappearance) but Sesshomaru didn't want to let the man out of his sight. Not when he had just succeeded in recapturing him. And like he had promised, Inuyasha hadn't run away. Still, Sesshomaru didn't want to give him any ideas—or chances.

"No." Sesshomaru flatly rejected.

"Well, who told you to throw away the stupid phone! I could get the number myself, but you could get it faster, right?"

"I'm not getting anything." Sesshomaru looked away. The boy's blazing eyes could do nothing to change his mind. He was absolutely not going to give him to Kouga.

"You said you wouldn't piss me off! If I could, I would fire you for doing such a shit job." Inuyasha crossed his arms and from the corner of his eyes, Sesshomaru could see his surfacing pout.

"And you said you would listen to me. To be in the same country as you is already pushing it, yet you want to be in the same room as him?" Sesshomaru questioned in annoyance, gaze still away, as he motioned someone he knew over with his finger.

"Jesus Christ, he's my friend!" Like his puppy whining would work on Sesshomaru.

"And who am I to you?" Sesshomaru was hoping to hear something along the lines of boss, lover, master, or even seme. But Inuyasha hardly ever gave him what he wanted.

"Oh, I don't know, Mr. Very Sexually Frustrated..." Sparkly gold eyes fluttering oh so innocently. "A possessive dick with ADD?" Wild Inuyamon used sarcasm attack!

God, Inuyasha felt like he was talking to a statue. How many times had he said that Kouga was his friend? In any other situation, Inuyasha wouldn't even have bothered arguing with Sesshomaru when it was clear that persuasion was impossible. If Kouga wasn't around, he wouldn't hesitate to leave to cool down his rising ire. And probably get his scavengers to find his friend's phone number, even if it would take ages. Things always become difficult when you suddenly have people you want to protect. Inuyasha had an eerie feeling that if he let him out of his sight, Sesshomaru would use that short amount of time to send his men to kill the Korean. Inuyasha couldn't let that happen. Kouga was probably the only sane person around here. And Inuyasha would need him to stay that way.

Sesshomaru lowered his eyes to glance at his private before meeting Inuyasha's angry gaze. "It only wishes to possess a certain someone's rear. Should I grant its wish?" He smirked at Inuyasha's scrunched up face. It no longer mattered what kind of profanities was coming out of his mouth, as long as it gave Sesshomaru a chance to the many fascinating expressions his babe had. Wild Inuyamon's attack missed!

Wild Inuymon used Defense Curl! Wild Inuyamon's defense rose!

"You are one fucked up, annoying son of a—" Sesshomaru cut Inuyasha off with an effortless nudge towards his incoming head of security.

"Good afternoon, Sir. What can I do for you?" The brawny man asked with a slight bow. He had a gold ID tag on that indicated his name and his work. When he lifted his head, he looked Inuyasha down and shot a glare that meant to threaten and frighten. His clenched fists suggested he was ready for battle. If Inuyasha hadn't slit the throats of a handful of men twice his size, maybe he would have been a little bit more scared. The assassin just held back a wicked smirk, knowing how much trouble the hulk must have gotten into when he had trampled all over his pride yesterday. But still, it wasn't his fault that the man's security system sucked dogshit. Sesshomaru, who obviously picked up on the hostility, was not as amused.

"Stand down." Sesshomaru gnarled menacingly, surprising and frightening his employee who had thought he was defending his boss. "The blame for your incompetency falls on no one but yourself. Only if this man allows you to stay, will you serve him as you do me!" So even the hulk could be sedated, Inuyasha thought, as the man suddenly fell to the floor in front of his feet and performed an apologetic saikeirei.

"Forgive me, sir! I have made a mistake! I mean no disresp—" He froze as he felt a light ruffle to his hair. Inuyasha had gotten as low as him, a humble underling, to offer him the comfort that only he could give.

"Is it that fun slamming your head against the ground like that?" Inuyasha laughed. He didn't like how Sesshomaru was trying to make him all high and mighty, when he wasn't. Uncomfortable, yes, but when the underling himself listened willingly, he couldn't exactly yell at Sesshomaru. So instead, he tried to make the guard understand that such formalities meant nothing to him.

The guard, on the other hand, was mesmerized by the dazzling gentleman in front of him, who was resting his slender arm on one knee while the other contacted the ground—for him. Upon realizing Inuyasha's genuine concern, he felt as if a flower was finally beginning to bloom inside of him. The carefree voice breathed life into him and he felt a mix of shame, admiration, and fondness. How was he supposed to answer when in a state of such incoherence?

"It must be done…" He finally found himself exhaling.

"No need, big guy." Inuyasha reassured, then lifted himself back up, and waited for the sentry to do the same. At first, it was funny, but now he felt bad for the man, who probably had to deal with Sesshomaru's unruly wrath when he had escaped. And we all know how unnecessarily violent Sesshomaru can be.

"I am unworthy of your kindness, Mr…"

After a moment of hesitation, Inuyasha replied, "Silver." Sesshomaru simply cocked an eyebrow and if you looked closely, you would recognize a small smile. In his head, he was playfully repeating Inuyasha's name over and over.

"Mr. Silver." He repeated. What a perfect name for the gorgeous man, he thought. "Please accept my apology."

"Uh, sure." It was awkward having people apologizing to you when they didn't do anything out of line… Unlike someone else he knew. Inuyasha wasn't used to it. And when you were an assassin, you rarely ever got to hear social commentaries. It was usually him doing the apologizing, so hearing the words come out of someone else's mouth for him just didn't sound right. It must suck working for Sesshomaru, Inuyasha thought. "I'll give you some tips to boost up your system next time." But of course, not enough to be able to stop Inuyasha himself. Just everyone else. It was the least Inuyasha could do for him for almost making him lose his job.

"This man is to have full access to every area in this building. He will therefore require a platinum key from you." Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Don't listen to him, I don't need anything." Inuyasha told the guard, whose tag relieved the name 'S. Kiba'.

"How do you plan to enter the building?" His captor reminded.

"Why would I?" Inuyasha asked, slightly confused. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes; he did not like the sound of that. But no, he would not talk about such things in front of his underlings.

"Make the card. You may leave," he instructed of Kiba, before dragging Inuyasha by the arm toward the elevator.

"Hey! Where are we—w-wait, hold on!" The shorter man tried to hold his ground but it was embarrassing to have so many people in the lobby stare at him. He preferred being in the shadows and coming out to complete his tasks only when he had to. He preferred not to attract attention when he didn't have to. To his infuriation, he was actually happy to have been pushed into the very elevator that instigated his earlier escape, just to abscond the prying eyes. At least now he only had one person to deal with. One very trouble person.

"What was that for? I said I don't need any key." He asked, as Sesshomaru reached into the pocket of his suit and revealed a shiny golden card. He promptly swiped it through a rectangular protrusion near the buttons before putting it back where it came from. Instantly, Inuyasha felt the elevator floor pulling them up.

"You do. You pledged to stay." Sesshomaru corrected like a teacher would to his rebellious student.

"So that I can make you change your mind." Inuyasha confessed.

A loud snarl caught him off guard. "You will fail."

"I think you're making a mistake." How could anyone like a person without knowing anything about him? Love at first sight didn't suit Sesshomaru, or Inuyasha for that matter. They weren't teenage girls, for God's sake. Sesshomaru probably didn't understand the true meaning of the words he said.

Because it was not that easy.

For example, Inuyasha didn't want to admit it, but the yakuza was undeniably a very attractive man. Look at that flawless complexion that complimented even the crescent moon tattoo on his temple. His high nose and brilliantly intense amber orbs. Those model lips and that perfect jawline. It was like a picture right out of a magazine! But that didn't mean Inuyasha loved him. And it was probably the same situation for Sesshomaru. Because of… what he had done to Inuyasha. Believing he was the sane one of the two, Inuyasha wanted to convince Sesshomaru that he was in the wrong.

"Don't test my patience, Inuyasha!" Suddenly his collar was grabbed harshly and he found himself starring into Sesshomaru's venomous eyes, their noses only inches apart. Tension rose through every nerve when he felt hot air being breathed down on his sensitive cheek. His hands hastily sprang into action, pulling on Sesshomaru's in an attempt to make him release his clutch.

"I'm not trying to! Just hear me out!" Inuyasha pleaded. Why must their conversations always be so complicated? He was trying so hard to forgive the man.

"Enough!" Sesshomaru had never been so vexed. He was an excellent commander because he rarely ever lost his cool. But Inuyasha's complete and constant denial was really becoming tedious to revoke. The boy hadn't broken his promise not to flee, but his other portion about listening hadn't seemed to kick in yet. Sesshomaru would have to fix that. And with perfect timing, the elevator dinged. He pushed Inuyasha out the lift and then up against the wall. Continuing his earlier feast, he forced their lips together once again.

Inuyasha yelped into the kiss, as he felt their teeth smash against each other with great force and the wounds on his back reopening. He closed his eyes to calm himself down, while inhaling acutely, preparing for his next move. Inuyasha gathered all the strength he had in his hands and shoved Sesshomaru to the opposite wall, seconds into their passionate connection. Breathing heavily, he fell down the few centimetres he didn't feel he had between his feet and the ground.

"I hate you! Fuck you! You shit!" Inuyasha hissed, trying his best to resist his tears. He wiped his mouth ferociously, hoping it would provide a decent distraction.

"Inuy—"

"You're so full of bullshit, you assfuck! You liked it the first time so you just want to shove your fucking dick up my ass again!"

"Stop this—" Sesshomaru yelled and took a step forward, only causing Inuyasha to back farther away.

"No, you shut it! You will listen to what I have to say!" Inuyasha pointed to emphasize, "I promised to listen to you, and I did. I have no doubt you want me; you made that pretty fucking clear. But I'm not interested in playing your whore, understand? You fucking raped me—"

"No, that was a mista—"

"Are you going to deny it happened?" That was all it took to silence Sesshomaru, and Inuyasha continued. "Look. You don't know anything about me, you're not in love. You just think you are. Don't deny it—because the only thing you've been doing is trying to get into my pants." Inuyasha sighed erratically. Then with the tone of an assassin, "I don't like your constant threatening, I don't like your perverted talk, I don't like your sexual harassment. I'm tired of it."

Sesshomaru took a step back and took everything in. Inuyasha frowned to match his expression. He could tell they were both exhausted from this whole debate. Sesshomaru had hurt him like no other had but Inuyasha wasn't as cruel as him. Even after being caused so much pain, he still felt bad for frustrating and causing the man trouble. It wasn't like he hadn't done anything spiteful in return. But he wanted—needed to get his bottom line across:

"You can't expect me to trust you when you… when you humiliated me like that… Okay?"

Sesshomaru was astounded. First of all, he had never been lectured in his entire life. Second, he knew he regretted what he had to Inuyasha, but he was oblivious to the full extent of his actions. Inuyasha's compelling attitude never revealed how much it really affected him and Sesshomaru didn't bother to inquire. But who would, on such a sore subject? Besides, his babe just seemed… so strong. No, Inuyasha is strong. It was just Sesshomaru's irreversible mistake. And third, he did not see Inuyasha as a prostitute. Absolutely not. His actions were only meant to show him how much Sesshomaru wanted him, how much he wanted to be near him. He believed the assassin was grateful and simply shy, for even when the most experienced whore wanted the kind of attention he was giving Inuyasha, he had always bluntly refused. Didn't the man understand?

No, Sesshomaru swore he would make him understand. He would fix things. He will.

But he had absolutely no idea how to do it. He felt so cheated. Nothing that worked in his favour before was helping him develop a relationship with Inuyasha.

His instinct told him that there was only one hope right now: he would have to agree with Inuyasha's every wish.

Straightening his back and parting his lips, Sesshomaru at last broke the long silence in the isolated hallway.

"I will spare Kouga's life. He will not be harmed." When Inuyasha finally locked his eyes with his again, Sesshomaru felt a surge of relief. "I will touch you only when it concerns your wounds. Come, you must take the medicine Kaede left for you." He motioned down the hallway towards his suite. After a short consideration, he heard soft footsteps behind him as Inuyasha followed.

"This is not going to change anything." Inuyasha forewarned. Dead air answered him.

Oh, but he had no idea how wrong he was. He was going to be in for a rude awakening.

Upon approaching the professionally varnished Brazilian rosewood door, the same gold card key was brought out again. The two slipped in and Sesshomaru took off their coats. Whereas Inuyasha explored the familiar penthouse bare footed, Sesshomaru headed to the bathroom while loosening his tie. Minutes later, he came back with a tub of warm water, three clean towels, and fresh white wrap. After settling the items on the glass table in the living room, he disappeared into the kitchen to retrieve some pills, a brown-coloured concoction, and a glass of water.

He called for Inuyasha to sit on the couch as the brew was allowed to cool.

"What are you going to do?"

Sesshomaru rolled up his sleeves and with an elastic hair band from the bathroom, gathered and tied his feathery hair loosely into a ponytail. He had done all this with his eyes lowered in order to concentrate. He couldn't let his hair get in the way of his next task. Inuyasha saw the same creamy texture in the man's eyelashes. And they were just as silver as his hair. This fascinated Inuyasha, for Sesshomaru was the only one who shared this rare trait with him. Somehow, it didn't seem to suit the tenacious boss's temperament, so Inuyasha couldn't help but chuckle ever so slightly.

"I will clean your wounds, though I hardly find such activities amusing." Ah, so the big man knew how to be cute. Just a little bit.

Overlooking the tiny tug at his heart, Inuyasha sat down with his back to Sesshomaru. He strangely sensed no danger this time around, and his exploration confirmed no weapons in direct reach of the yakuza—they were closer to Inuyasha so he was pretty sure he could get to them faster than Sesshomaru if he needed to. For now, he would bare his back to the man, because he simply could not afford neglect his back anymore. The assassin part of his mind had been trying to take over ever since the wounds had been inflicted: if the injuries proved to be vital enough to cause distraction to your missions, you must take care of them. And if all of his wounds didn't heal soon, he would definitely tire himself out by putting up a constant guard.

Sesshomaru slowly stripped him of his black jacket and his tux vest before Inuyasha shuffled his hair to the side and settled it in front, on his chest. Then came bandages' turn and Inuyasha winced. On the night of his escape, after retrieving his items from his apartment, he had slipped into a public bath and attempted to clean and evaluate his wounds. But since he had no fresh gauze with him, he had to reluctantly reuse the old ones. Of course he had cleaned them first, but that was probably a stupid idea. Which Sesshomaru took the liberty to remind him of.

"You fool. How did you get your wounds to this horrid state?" Sesshomaru whispered. Amazingly, Inuyasha managed to pick up the concern he was trying—and failing—to cover up with false anger.

"Shut up, half of it was your fault anyway," Inuyasha felt a gentle caress across his back and a shiver ran down his spine. It had been so long since his back experienced any warmth or tenderness—only the rough friction of the bandages. "I went to a public bath, but I had to reuse the bandages; didn't have anything else with me. So I just—"

"So you washed them in the bacteria and dead skin cell infested bath water?" Sesshomaru jeered. He gained another sigh of pain from Inuyasha as he worked on removing the bandages. They had wedged themselves between the wounds and only served to prevent them from healing, besides also infecting them with bacteria. Blood flowed down from every area where the gauze was removed. With every step, Sesshomaru felt his guilt swell up, suffocating him.

"Sorry." Well that was surprising. Inuyasha had no idea why he was the one apologizing, but it happened before he even thought about it. What was more surprising however, was Sesshomaru's next comment.

"No, that line is mine to say." Inuyasha turned his head around to see the convoluted face of the boss of the entire Japanese yakuza. He couldn't help but let a sluggish smile emerge.

"It's fine, I've been in worse situations. I'm just glad for the fresh wraps." Sesshomaru swore he would never let such a thing happen to his babe again.

"Worse situations? How so?" Now he was trying to learn more about Inuyasha by offering light conversation. Miroku would be shitting his pants if he was there to see what his boss was doing. Rarely, if ever, did the man do more than what was necessary.

To answer the question, Inuyasha had to think back to more than a decade ago, when he was still very active as an assassin.

"I nearly bled to death in Russia once."

"You? The infamous Silverclaw?" Sesshomaru found it hard to believe anyone could bring inuyasha to such a condition.

"I underestimated my opponent. It taught me never to make that kind of stupid mistake again though." Inuyasha shrugged slightly. Every experience made him slightly stronger, so what did he have to complain about now?

"An assassination? Did you succeed?"

"Yeah. A leader of a group. I was hired by an opposing group. They were both doing shit, but at least one didn't terrorize the civilians."

"Their men, did they not do anything?"

"Naw. Orekhov's men were a bunch of puss—Argh, fuck!" Inuyasha thrust his chest forward in response to a towel's harsh scape across an open gash. When he twisted his head to glare at Sesshomaru, a pair of burning amber eyes connected directly to his.

"W-What?" Suspicion. Doubt. Caution.

"You were the one that killed Ivankov." It was more of a statement than a question.

"What the hell? How do you know his name?" Inuyasha jumped up from his seat and clutched his sides to remind himself not to overwork his back muscles.

Sesshomaru sighed inwardly before explaining. "I have ties with Obshina."

"The group that hired me? Wait, you mean you were actually my boss at some point?" Well, shit. Who would have thought?

But Sesshomaru wanted to slap the man across the head. Of all things, it was the identity of his employer that he was concerned about. Inuyasha was too reckless.

"My spies were in Orekhov. Things were coming along. Getting rid of their leader was the last step. My men didn't know Russia well enough to be able to hire a good assassin. Obshina was asked to do so instead. I didn't expect the person to be... you. I was told you died as well."

"Hell no. Bleed a shitload maybe, but die? Hell no." Inuyasha reproved, to which the yakuza replied with a 'I'm glad, or else I would have never met you, though if I had known, I would not have put you in such danger', before adding, "But I did do a good job didn't I?" His smirk was quick to disappear upon Sesshomaru's following remark.

"Hardly. Another leader appeared, much smarter than the last."

"And?" The assassin inquired. Inuyasha did not tolerate failures, because it made him feel weak. And we all know how much he hates that. If he took on a job, he would see to it that it gets done. Leaving things unfinished wasn't his thing, and he didn't want anyone to think that he would half-ass anything. Even though he had no desire to assimilate himself back into the underground society, he would finish his job if he felt the need.

Sesshomaru patted the couch cushion, encouraging Inuyasha to sit back down. As he continued his careful cleaning, he slowly but thoroughly explained the current events. Inuyasha just sat quietly, trying to decide whether he should do anything at all—Sesshomaru seemed to have everything under control. Which he thought was very impressive. And even though this Markov guy sounded like a total bitch deserving of death, especially for trafficking humans—the activity Inuyasha disapproved of the most—it was not his place to interrupt if someone had already picked up after his job.

As if reading his mind, Sesshomaru convinced, "Don't concern yourself with this matter." Inuyasha still didn't like leaving a mission with unsatisfactory results. And the taller man saw this as well and promptly changed the subject.

"Drink this. And take these pills with some water. They were prescribed for you." By this time, he had already finished wiping Inuyasha's wounds and wrapping fresh gauze around his chest. Fortunately the herbal medicine had cooled off enough for Inuyasha to drink it without burning his tongue—so that Sesshomaru could successfully diffuse Orekhov from his babe's mind. This was good, because Inuyasha needed to rest and for that, diversions were unnecessary.

Inuyasha took the medicine and licked them, checking for poison. One of the skills he had attained as an assassin was the ability to recognize almost every type of toxin in the market under the lowest concentrations. This was done by forcing his taste buds into a state of ultra-sensitivity. Such a process would normally take a person a decade or so to complete, but Inuyasha figured out a certain pattern characteristic of all the chemicals lethal to a human body and was able to achieve the skill in only a year and a half.

Sesshomaru was offended at first but that feeling was soon replaced with admiration. His babe was definitely someone no one wanted to mess with. It also gave him a sense of security—with such valuable assets under his belt, Inuyasha would not get harmed that easily. They were a bit annoying to deal with personally, but he was still glad for them.

Detecting no abnormalities except for a strange bitterness that made his perfect nose scrunch like a sniffling baby pup, Inuyasha ingested the brew and then pills and warm water.

"Now go rest. I still have much to do downstairs." Sesshomaru cleared his throat to stress, "But do not disappear this time. I planned to take you with me to my office. However, your condition is worse than I had anticipated. So I will have you stay here." With tub and things in hand, he stood up and headed towards the washroom.

"Kouga's number—" Inuyasha reminded.

"Rest." Fuck. Sesshomaru was really hoping he had forgotten about that matter.

"I want to talk to him later."

"Inuyasha—"

"Speaking over the phone or seeing him personally. Which do you prefer?" Damn this man, Sesshomaru cursed. Inuyasha was getting better and better at threatening him. And damn his irrational guts for falling for such an unruly assassin.

He would have to wait a while before introducing Silverclaw to his delegates.

"Fine. Now go rest." He turned around again, more abruptly this time in his irritation, but was suddenly stopped by a pleasantly warm hold on his right arm. Inuyasha then pulled out that one arm, slid his electrifying fingers down its length and stopped at his own digits. But it was the next move that really made his day. Inuyasha teasingly wrapped his pinky around his and gave Sesshomaru the widest grin the yakuza had ever seen on that handsome face.

"You promised, okay?"

By the time Sesshomaru could properly respond, Inuyasha was already inside the master bedroom—his bedroom. So fine, he would just settle for a small grin of his own. He would have to clean up quickly, so he can finish his work quickly, and get back to Inuyasha quickly. An epinephrine burst for such a self-indulgent reason would even make the Gods giggle.

Inuyasha began at the very top floor, eyeing every corner, crook and nanny all the while considering the position of every security camera he could find. Their defenses were really pathetic for the building's purpose. It wasn't actually that bad, but for a headquarters? No, just no. How they survived with such a crap system, Inuyasha would never know. Maybe it was Sesshomaru's men. At least they weren't completely retarded.

During his investigation, he had been confronted by a few men. Most of the guys did not notice what he had been doing, since he was good at hiding such intentions, but there were some that acted on their suspicions. Inuyasha was part impressed, and part irritated. But more impressed. The group of keen men that blocked his path knew how to skillfully inquire without outright insulting—they were professionals. When you don't know whether someone is an enemy or not, playing it cool was the most practical direction to take. Dig for every little piece of information that could differentiate between foe and ally, hide your suspicions and true intentions behind a masked smile and pretty words, avoid violence whenever possible to prevent unnecessary chaos among the lower underlings, protect the physical wellbeing of your headquarters, and most important of all, do all this without giving anything away to the prospective adversary.

Sesshomaru really knew what to look for. Nicely done.

Of course, Inuyasha was able to talk his way out of every confrontation. Giving himself a pat in the back, he continued his examination of the hallways until he reached the third floor. There, he spotted Kiba outside a large two panel door, talking to the subordinate that had once shot him in the leg. As he got closer, Kiba spotted him and smiled. This made the subordinate look his way.

Damn. Inuyasha was hoping to get in at least one surprise punch to his side.

"It is nice to see you again, Mr. Silver." Kiba greeted. Inuyasha only responded with a grunt and instead sent death glares at the other black haired man. Being a few centimetres taller than him made Inuyasha a little more intimidating and he grinned—the shitface looked like he was wetting his pants.

"S-Silverclaw!" The man cried, his hands on Inuyasha's shoulders. "You're alright! I can't believe it."

"Hands off, fucker." Inuyasha spat in return. "No thanks to your fucking bullet in my leg. If I had a dagger with me, you'd be spewing your insides all over the floor right now."

"Miroku, you know this man? What the hell did you do?" Inuyasha's allegations shocked Kiba. He was good friends with Miroku, but if needed be, he would remove his presence from Mr. Silver. He was of higher priority, after all.

"Oh god, I'm sorry. Silverclaw… It was entirely my fault, I—"

"Save it. I'm sick of hearing apologies." Inuyasha roughly threw Miroku to the side and made his way into the main security room. "Come on, Kiba. I'll show you what a real security system looks like—Swiss style." Kiba's concerned eyes met Miroku's before the two followed in closely behind Silverclaw. Miroku decided to observe at the back. He didn't know what the assassin was up to but he definitely wanted to have a long chat with him later. He could not leave now.

Kiba instructed one man off of his station, which Inuyasha promptly filled. As he made himself comfortable on the leather chair, his speedy fingers began a long, brisk spell with the keyboard in front of him. One by one, he explained his earlier findings as the related pictures popped up on the various computer screens. With every failure, he suggested a compromise or an entirely new solution. There were multiple alternatives for some areas due to the population of men there or the existence of conceivable entry points, like windows, larger vents, and thin walls, Inuyasha explained.

Soon, all the men in the room were crowding around the assassin. Every pair of eyes widened to the size of saucers when he began putting some of the secrets of the Swiss banks onto the table. One person conjured up enough courage to ask how he knew all of this. And guess what? The man had broken into the top banks of Switzerland before! Just who the hell was he?

Miroku's reactions were not as extravagant as theirs for he knew about Silverclaw, but he was not any less impressed at the assassin's capabilities. He shivered when he realized he had been up against such a man. Within the span of half an hour, the entire security system had been thoroughly revamped and the old one backed up and stored away for the records.

"Alright, that's about it. It isn't the best, but it should be more useful than the last. You'll need some new tech if Sesshomaru gives the OK," Inuyasha instructed as he added finishing touches and lifted himself from his seat to stretch. Pointing to the number he wrote down on a scrap piece of paper on the desk, he said, "Call this person and tell him Silverclaw gave you his number. Don't freak out when you hear his voice. It's like a kid's but he's at the top of his game. You can trust him."

"Mr. Silver… You are simply amazing. Who are you, really?" Kiba persisted. He was so intrigued, but at the same time, his sentry instincts were telling him he needed to find out this man's secrets.

"Just a retired traveller. I'm not out to get you, so you can relax." Inuyasha yawned out. Ah, the clean feeling on his back was heavenly. He hadn't been aware of how disastrous the old bandages were, but now that his wounds were healing, it was clear how stupid the whole public bath idea was.

"Oh no, that's not what I—" Kiba started, his right hand already up in defense. As Inuyasha retracted his left hand from his mouth after his yawn, he lazily slapped down Kiba's arm along the way. He was in no mood for arguments. Sesshomaru had provided enough to last him for at least the rest of the day.

"I'm starving. Could you lend me a few bucks?" Inuyasha cut him off as his right palm attempted to remove a speck of phlegm from his teary eyes.

"No, let me buy you dinner." Miroku interrupted as he walked up to them. When he was given another glare, he tried pleading one more time with the assassin. And then, with a strict warning, some quick goodbyes, and a no thank you to a platinum card key, the two were off.

Inuyasha walked out of the building clad in the pair of navy-coloured skinny jeans, the same dirty boots, and the clean white t-shirt he stole from Sesshomaru's closet. He sighed when the inevitable questions came rolling in.

"I really want to apologize. If I had known, I would have never—" Miroku tried to say.

"I don't want to hear this."

After a moment of silence, "Please forgive me for my rashness, Silverclaw… You have no idea how horrible I feel…"

"I said I don't want to talk about it." He scowled.

"Then I will give you a buffet to enjoy tonight as an apology. Anything you want."

"A good start. I ain't owing you though." Inuyasha smirked as he stuffed his hands into his jean pockets.

"No, of course not." Miroku returned the smile. "My name is Miroku. May I know yours?"

"Mis-ter Sil-ver." He teased as he enjoyed the cool evening breeze against his face.

"Don't tell me that's your actual name…"

"To you it is." Inuyasha already regretted giving Sesshomaru his name when he had been in a dazed state of incoherence. He was not about make the same mistake with another man he didn't fully trust.

"Fine, be that way." He shot his hands up and Inuyasha laughed. Maybe they could actually get along. Miroku was quite pleasantly astonished to discover that Silverclaw was the complete opposite of how he had imagined him to be. How could he have hurt such a pleasant man?

"Can you at least tell me how the hell you managed to break into a Swiss bank? I thought you were playing with us back there."

"No, I'm serious. I did do it, but not alone. I was taught by a friend." Inuyasha smiled, remembering the good times he had with the thief. They had lost contact but he knew that he would one day see him again. The Chinese man was the one who encouraged Inuyasha to quit being an assassin. They had made a pact to find each other again when they were ready. Only when they each fulfilled their end of their promise, would they meet again.

"Wow, I'm still shivering. I hope you don't make us your enemy." Miroku joked.

"That depends on your boss. And the meal you're going to buy me."

"Aren't you on our side now?" He thought back to the events in the conference room. Sesshomaru did say he wanted Silverclaw as an ally right?

"Who ever said I was your ally?"

"Then…"

Inuyasha shrugged, "I'm neutral. I guess it's still under consideration. I don't really want to get back to this kind of thing though."

"Then what was that back there?"

"I felt bad for the hulk."

"The hulk?"

"Kiba." Miroku's laugh boomed down the street, prompting Inuyasha to increase his pace just to separate himself from the man and avoid the weird stares coming their way.

But he was quick to run back to Inuyasha's side. "S-Sorry. Ho man," he giggled, still trying to catch his breath. "I'm never going to see him the same way ever again." Inuyasha blushed in slight embarrassment.

"Just don't tell him I said it." He kept the door open behind him for Miroku as he entered a lush Chinese restaurant, beautifully decorated with vibrant reds and sparkling golds—Inuyasha's two faourite colours—and dragons and phoenixes. And without fail, a Maneki Neko sat near the cash registers, beckoning the customers for higher tips.

"Sure." The yakuza grinned. He was really starting to like the assassin.

Soon, they were directed to and seated at a small table next to a wall covered in mirrors. With his reflection to his right, Inuyasha basked in the delicious fragrances coming from the kitchen at the back and from the food on nearby tables. Instinctively, his stomach rumbled.

"I'm not gonna hold back so I hope you brought a fat wallet." Inuyasha licked his lips, eagerly waiting for the woman in the matching red Chinese cheongsam to bring them their menus.

"How big of an appetite do you ha—"

"FUCK, GET DOWN MIROKU!" As she bent down to give them their menus, Inuyasha smelt a waft of gunpowder in the woman's hair—one slightly different from Miroku's. He would have picked up on it sooner if they weren't in a restaurant filled with a million different aromas. But it was too late; he had let the woman in too close. Inuyasha cursed himself. Fuck him for letting down his guard whenever he's about to eat. Fuck the woman for picking such a detrimental place to attack them. And fuck Miroku for being so goddamn slow!

Inuyasha dodged the blades hidden in the menus by throwing himself against the mirrors to his right. While moving away, his left hand was up to avoid getting a gash to his bicep and his right arm reached across the table to push Miroku backwards, out of his seat, and to the ground. When he was out of danger's way, Inuyasha retracted his right arm with the speed of a greyhound, leaned forward in time with its push on the table and lifted his legs up together to deal a painful sideways blow to the woman's unguarded chest. Inuyasha heard one naïve little child in a nearby table yell, "Look, mommy, a pretty dancing lady!" while her older brother pointed, "Cool, a girl breakdancer!"

Inuyasha really hated kids.

The damage he inflicted was doubled since her back had been bent and the red-eyed woman was thrown across the room to crash with the mirrors on the opposing side. Her jaded earrings jingled from the impact; one escaped her lobe as she grunted from the contact of broken shards to her back.

Before she could regain her composure, Inuyasha's heavy duty boots were on the ground and running the few steps to reach Miroku.

"Shit, my gun!" He shouted in shock and frustration. Miroku had left his gun at headquarters! And who the hell was the woman? Why was she attacking them?

"Get up, we're leaving!" Inuyasha bellowed while lifting him up by his arm. Using the chaos caused by the frantic customers fleeing from the restaurant to his advantage, he then pushed them towards the exit.

Any smart killer would have known the benefits of leaving normal citizens out of their brawls, but this woman was obviously not right in the head. The moment she was up, she took out the small gun hidden strapped to her thigh inside her long dress, and shot 3 bullets at towards the pair. One ricocheted off the metal door frames and the second hit a fellow waitress. The third grazed Inuyasha's left shoulder as he attempted to shield Miroku in front, and ended up in the belly of the Maneki Neko, right through the gold coin it was holding.

If Inuyasha never believed in it before, he did now—the restaurant was definitely going bankrupt after this incident and the stupid cat totally knew it.

Inuyasha looked back one last time at the woman before exiting the restaurant. The sooner they left, the less the number of innocent deaths. The pair was about to run into an alleyway that, according to Miroku, was a shortcut to headquarters, but all he received was a smack across the head.

"You dumbass! Are you going to risk the lives of every one of your men?" Inuyasha immediately ran towards the opposite direction, away from the restaurant. Gunshots and screams of different pitches were heard as they turned on the corner of the street.

"Who the hell was that?" Miroku panted out.

"I thought you knew! She was aiming for you until I forced her attention on me!" Inuyasha squeezed the fresh wound on his left shoulder, hoping not to leave drops of blood behind. They could give them away if he wasn't careful. "Her name tag— it said Aruga K. Sound familiar to you?"

"No, never heard of her. You think we should we steal a car?" Man, was Miroku slow. Inuyasha was only running at a quarter of his maximum speed. If he could carry the man on his back to pick up haste, he would. But he hadn't eaten for over 30 hours—no blood glucose, very little glycogen, and he had no fat to burn! He was running out of the little energy he had retained during his earlier nap. Fuck. Inuyasha panicked as he began feeling dizzy from hunger. The only way to survive this was for them to confront the woman now hot on their trails.

"Can't. Innocent people…" Through laconic faltering breaths, Inuyasha said, "Miroku."

"Yeah?" They were both running out of stamina. Four more shots were fired from behind and thankfully, all missed.

"What do you have on you?"

"Only my phone and wallet."

"Listen carefully," Inuyasha gulped down his saliva, hoping his glands would soon produce another batch before he became thoroughly dehydrated. "You're going to be the decoy. When we turn right on that corner," he pointed, trying to remember the shops he had seen when he escaped in the Jaguar, "I'll run into a barber shop and ambush the woman from behind."

"What?" Miroku thought Silverclaw was going crazy. If only he had brought a weapon! It wasn't that he was afraid of death. He just didn't want to act irresponsibly. If he died in the hands of an unidentified female enemy, his boss would mock and condemn him even in hell.

"I'll handle her. You call for someone to come get you."

"Wait, Silverclaw, don't be reck—Shit!" But they had already reached the corner and Silverclaw's plan was already in action before he couldn't disagree. So Miroku quickly ran passed the barber shop, took out his phone, and dialed number one. The repetitive dial tone seemed so deafening to his ear. Then, finally, an angelic voice.

"What?" The man on the other end of the line answered.

"Boss! We need backup! Silverclaw—he's in trouble!"

Inuyasha thrust the doors of the barber shop open, startling the people inside. Ignoring their screams, he scanned the place for his desired weapon. Within seconds, he was up against the wall by the door with two scissors, one in each hand, fully prepared to attack.

The instant the woman emerged into sight, Inuyasha burst through the glass doors and planted one pair in her shoulder blade. She screamed in agony and turned around to point her gun at her enemy, but Inuyasha warily followed her movements, keeping himself to her back. As she searched frantically for a target, Inuyasha grabbed her neck from behind with the arm possessing the other pair of scissors, while his free palm came down on her wrist. He kicked the gun away as soon as it hit the ground.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" Inuyasha shook her. But no answer, just struggling. When she heard the warning honk of car, she dealt a hard blow to Inuyasha's side, causing him to release his hold. He tried to recapture her but to no avail—he could only watch through a blur as she escaped the scene in an ominous black car. Its spider-shaped crest was the last thing he saw before darkness enveloped him.

In his dreams, a familiar silver-haired man was calling out to him using his true name—Inuyasha, Inuyasha he thought he distantly heard. 

Okay, now the real action starts, haha. Can't wait!

I'm so curious to know if anyone picked up on all the hints I put into this chapter (there were like, tons, lol). Some tie back to earlier chapters, while others will be expanded later on. I don't include anything I'm not going to use later. Hope I didn't make it too obvious though, haha.

And I'm sorry for the long wait. I hope the fanart made it a little bit more worthwhile lol.

Again, feel free to give me suggestions for this story's fanart.

Please review if you enjoyed this chapter!

See you next time!


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